Megaforce: The Invasion Arrives
by Lily Hanson
Summary: The Rangers begin their second round, this time against the Armada Invasion. They must adapt once more to juggling their responsibilities with their personal lives. Unfortunately, it's no easier the second time around.
1. Emma The Cave Woman

_Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers Megaforce. This story is fan-made._

_Author's Note: This is not where the Megaforce series starts. If you want to read the series without getting lost, I suggest you read my stories in the order they appear:_

_**No To Date Nights - The Party Night - Project Partners - Megaforce: Lives Behind The Masks - **__**Prom Night**__ - __**A Trip To Remember - First Meetings - Something She Loves – Protective Morans – Samurai In Harwood County – Rainy Days – Luck Had Nothing To Do With It – Ranger Support – Parents and Children – Hero Without The Spandex – Emma's Night – Emma's Mother – Bait And Switch – After Death – A Stormy Day – A Date For Tensou – A Mother's Advice – Mending Fences – Executioner Named Revenge –Those Three Words – On The Fourth Day – Babysitting – Tiger- A Fresh Start – On the Mountains – Looking Ahead – The Rangers' Recovery – Daughter's Nightmare – Megaforce: With Great Power –Cookies – The Babysitters: Jake and Gia – Better Off With The Burrows**_ – _**A Hard Journey – The Messenger**_

Living in the command center was different than Emma thought it would be. She knew not to expect it to feel like home, especially not right away, but she hadn't predicted it would feel so cold.

Gosei was absent. His face was still hung on the wall and loomed over her whenever she was out in the main room, but Tensou said he needed time to recover from having some of his life force drained. Emma wasn't sure what he meant, but decided not to ask. She sometimes questioned her Ranger mentor but knew he had a reason for everything he did and was certain he would be back when they needed him.

Tensou spent most of his days working on a new project. The Armada the Messenger had warned them about was getting closer to Earth, and as a result Tensou was able to pick up some of their signatures and analyse them. He had already informed the Rangers that they were far more powerful that anything the Earth had seen before. As such, the Rangers were going to need a lot more fire power than what they had presently.

Gia hated living in the command center more than Emma, and so she spent most of her days with Jake or the others in the city. Even when she was home and Emma had someone to talk to, the cave just didn't feel warm or inviting. The girls each had a bed in the side room to sleep in, and every night up to date Emma had to crawl in with Gia because she felt so cold and lonely.

She wouldn't even keep in touch with Jordan anymore. She explained her fears to him and though he seemed doubtful that ending all communication would be good for her, he did as he was asked. Unbeknownst to her, Jordan and Gia were keeping in touch.

Gia hated going behind Emma's back. All this had only been set up because Emma didn't want to put any of her loved ones in danger, but Jordan had insisted to her that for his own peace of mind, he needed to get updates on his girlfriend. Gia tried not to tell him too much, and struck a deal that if Jordan texted her only once a week to see how Emma was doing, Gia would keep a close eye on the pink Ranger. Jordan accepted the deal – mostly because Gia had sent him a series of emoticons that told him exactly how she would kill him if he refused.

Despite still having her friends to talk to, and a school life to keep up with, Emma cut herself off from everyone. She would leave the command center to go to school, but she hardly spoke up anymore, even after Dr. Oliver assured her that he knew of the coming danger and his life being at risk was always a part of being a Ranger, and had nothing to do with her. When the others would head to the Brainfreeze after class, Emma would go straight home. Gia invited her out every day, but nothing could convince her to leave.

With Tensou still at work on his new project, and Gia out, Emma was alone again. She sat at the table where she and Gia would eat dinner and flipped through the pages of the only photo album she brought with her. It was the only possession she had that linked her to her family. She hadn't wanted to take it with her, but before she and Gia left the house for the last time, Gia snuck it in her bag. Emma had been furious with her at the time, but was now grateful she had it. She wouldn't have made it a single night without the album.

She was staring at the pictures of her teaching her mother to ride a bike when she heard footsteps coming into the command center. She looked up and saw all her friends walking in. The boys stopped close to the door but Gia went right up to the table and ripped the photo album from her hands.

"We're going skating."

"Give it back."

"You're coming with," Gia insisted. Emma shook her head.

"I don't want to go out. I told you, I'm fine…"

"You're not fine. Aside from going to school, it's been days since you've seen the sun. It's a nice day, you love being outside, so you're going out. End of story."

"But…"

"Don't you dare but me," Gia tossed the photo album to Jake and leaned against the table. She looked Emma right in the eyes. "I'm eighteen, you're seventeen. I'm yellow, you're pink. That puts me in charge and makes me responsible for your well-being. You're going outside, you're going to have fun, or I'm going to make you."

Emma crossed her arms over her chest. Gia knew how to put the fear of God into most people, but Emma wasn't scared of her. She knew Gia wouldn't hurt her.

"I'm fine."

Gia leaned in a little closer and her expression darkened, almost to the point where she looked exactly like an angry Vanessa. That was a little more terrifying to Emma.

"Do you want to try that again?"

Emma grumbled. She pushed out her chair and got to her feet. Gia gave her a satisfied smirk and offered her her jacket, hat, and mittens.

"You're not in charge," Emma muttered as she slipped on her winter clothes. "You just happen to be older and no one voted for a second-in-command."

Gia turned to the boys and they all slowly raised their hands. Emma knew what they meant, realized she was outvoted and grumbled.

"This is stupid."

"Come on, Emma. I miss home too, and I worry about our moms all the time but… sulking in here isn't going to do us any good. Even Troy gets out to socialize."

"Hey!"

"Dude, you are theteam loner," Jake chuckled and tapped his arm.

"This just… sucks more than I thought it would," Emma said as she zipped up her jacket. She looked to Gia. The yellow Ranger nodded her head.

"Yeah, I know. But trust me, getting out makes it feel a lot better."

"What if we run into them? If we're out in the city, there's a chance we see each other and…"

"Actually, your moms are out of town, already," Jake said. "Dad tried calling the other day to invite them for dinner. I think he's getting a little lonely himself, actually."

"They told him?" Emma frowned. "But we aren't supposed to know where they are! That's the point…"

"They're only in a temporary place until they find somewhere better. Though I doubt they could," Jake smirked and then looked to Gia as if to ask for permission. She sighed and nodded her head.

"Fine. It's not like we really know where they are anyways."

"Apparently, they bumped into some Hartford guy, and when he heard they were coming from here and looking for a place to get away from the alien attacks, he offered up one of his many guest's houses in the state."

"Hartford?" Emma asked. "You mean the multi-billionaire Mr. Hartford?"

"He was the mentor for the team of Overdrive Rangers," Troy pointed out. "Something tells me that wasn't really an accidental run in."

"Wait," Emma shook her head. "Mom and Vanessa are getting away from us and hooking up with another Ranger team? That's…"

"They didn't seem to have a clue," Jake assured her. "Neither did dad, actually."

"Mr. Hartford likes to keep a low profile when it comes to his work with the Rangers," Troy said. "Most people just seem to know him for his money."

"You're sure?"

"I wouldn't worry about it, Emma," Gia shrugged her shoulders. "Even if our moms know about the Rangers, they're identities were public. That's not going to make them number one targets."

"But I don't like them being…"

"Mr. Hartford has guests staying in his houses all the time now," Noah said. "My parents wanted to honeymoon in his home in Hawaii, but he charged way too much for it."

"If he charges…"

"Emma, relax," Gia held her arms comfortingly. "We keep the focus on us, like planned, and whoever is coming isn't going to give a rat's ass about some old billionaire."

"He's actually only about forty…"

"Noah, hush," Gia rolled her eyes and sighed. Emma smiled softly and chuckled as Noah held his arms up.

"Sorry. Just saying…"

Gia looked at Emma, "Come skating with us. Please. I promise you'll have a good time, and it'll make living in a cave feel a little… less lame."

"I don't know why you girls are always complaining," Tensou said as he rolled by, "The command center feels homey to me."

"I'll try skating," Emma smiled. "You better be right about it, though."

"Have I ever steered you wrong?" Gia took her arm and started to pull her off.

"Well, there was that…"

"SHH! No there wasn't. Clearly cave dwelling has gone to your head."

"I have the scar to prove it happened."

"No you don't. Stop talking. You sound ridiculous," Gia covered Emma's mouth with her hand and playfully dragged the pink Ranger out. The boys followed and chuckled as they shook their heads.

"We gotta get them out _a lot_ more," Jake said, to which the other two agreed.


	2. The Five Minute Moment

Gia had fallen one too many times and decided to call it quits on the skating. She bought a hot chocolate from the vendor and watched as her friends went around the rink. She smiled when they went by, especially when she saw Emma.

Though Gia hated leaving home and sending her mother and Claire off, she knew it was for the best, and had to give credit to Emma for coming up with the idea before something else went horribly wrong. She had had a difficult time with Vrak and his crazy army of evil. She wasn't sure she could handle stopping an invasion and keeping her mother safe. There had been far too many close calls already.

But though it was hard, Gia could cope better with being alone. She had many fears, but abandonment wasn't one of them. That was Emma's territory. While Gia had grown up never having to worry about if her parents were going to be home when she came back from school, or if there would be someone to read to her before bed, or wake her up in the morning, Emma didn't have that foundation. She had been dumped, forgotten, pushed aside, and neglected.

Gia knew that wasn't going to happen again. Emma always had a family with her and Vanessa, and Claire had jumped through so many hoops there was no way she would turn around and walk off now. But just because it wasn't true, didn't mean Emma couldn't believe it. Gia knew how she felt. It was the same reason she was still reluctant to move too quickly with Jake, and the reason they had still not done anything more than make-out (which, still, she was mildly uncomfortable with). Emma was scarred. It was going to be a phobia she would have to live with for the rest of her life. She would learn to cope with it, but no amount of kindness, friendship, therapy, or drugs could cure her.

She could escape. For moments, she could get away from her fears of being alone and of abandonment and she could just have fun. Gia was glad to see Emma having one of those moments now.

"This is exhausting," Noah huffed and puffed as he sat down next to Gia on the bench and started to pull off his skates. "Man, I'm going to have blisters the size of my toes! Why was this a good idea?"

"I've got a bruise the size of a fist on my ass," Gia replied with a chuckle. "Loosen up, Noah. We're not here for us. Emma really needed this. She's been a huge bummer around the command center. Even Tensou says she's depressing. Plus, the beds aren't as big as the ones we have at home. I don't think I can share another night with her."

"Aren't there two beds?" Noah frowned. "Wait, aren't there five?"

"Yeah," Gia said. "Tonight, LT and I are having a night to ourselves. I promised I'd make it up to him after I found he spent the night next to Emma's butt."

"LT is your tigger, right?"

Gia nodded her head and looked out to the skating rink, "Sometimes she farts."

"I thought LT was male… wait, what?" Noah turned to Gia completely baffled. "Did you just… farts? Seriously? You?"

"No, Emma farts. I'm perfect," Gia smirked and then nudged Noah. "Come on, we're having a moment. You only get a few of these with me, so savour it. In about five minutes I'm going to close up."

"We're having a moment?"

"I don't want this invasion to start," Gia said. "I'm finally getting used to not having to fight all the time and now there's something coming. While I still feel free, I want to enjoy it, and I want them to enjoy it."

Gia pointed to the rink. Noah nodded his head.

"Yeah. I'm not exactly looking forward to donning the spandex again. I'm still feeling phantom wedgie."

"Do you think it's going to be bad?" Gia asked. "Do you think it's going to be like last time?"

"You mean like with Vrak? Just, don't piss this new guy off and maybe he'll leave you alone."

"What? And give the red guy the limelight?" Gia looked down at her hot chocolate, "What about Vrak?"

"What about him?"

"Do you think he's coming back? I might just be having those nightmares again but… I'm still seeing him in my dreams a lot and they don't feel fear induced."

"That's what you talked to Troy about before the Messenger showed up, right?"

"I thought I killed him," Gia nodded her head, "But I didn't actually see him die. Technically, he was alive when we left the ship. If Troy, Emma, and I could survive, what's to say he couldn't?"

"We should cross that bridge when we get there," Noah said with a smile. "We're training every day. We're taking advantage of our free time now before it's gone. There's nothing else we can do."

"If he comes back?"

"You'll kick his ass again," Noah smiled. "Just… don't run off alone and do it."

"I learned that lesson."

"About ten times."

"I have a hard head."

"That's the truth," Noah chuckled. He finally managed to get his sore feet comfortable in his boots when Jake and Emma skated over to him and Gia.

"Noah! Gia! Troy's going to try a spin!" Jake said excitedly. "I bet him twenty bucks he wouldn't be able to hold it! Come watch him fall flat on his face!"

"I can't pass that up," Gia smirked and gently slapped Noah on the back, "C'mon, four-eyes, you don't want to miss this!"

"Four eyes? I thought we were…"

"Moment over!"

Noah sighed and checked his watch, "Wow, it really was just five minutes."


	3. Old Enemy New Power

Emma had to admit to having a good time while out skating with her friends. She also had to admit that Gia had been right and sitting around the command center missing her mother wasn't going to make her happy. Getting out with her friends had lifted her spirits for the day and she intended on hanging out with them more often. At the very least, time went by a lot faster, and it wouldn't feel like as long before she could see her family again.

But she hadn't forgotten about them, nor could she forget about the coming invasion. She lay awake in her bed and stared up at the cold rock ceiling.

"Gia? What do you think is trying to invade?"

Emma sat up in her bed and looked across the room. She saw Gia was resting in her bed but she knew the yellow Ranger wasn't asleep yet. Years of sharing a bed meant she knew when her best friend was sleeping and when she was faking.

"Gia?"

Suddenly, in what little light the night granted her, Emma saw something coming towards her head. She let out a cry and ducked as it hit the wall behind her. She turned around and picked it up off her bed.

"Did you just throw LT at me?"

Gia sat up in her bed, "No. He pounced viciously. He hates it when little birdies wake him up."

"I just wanted to talk about the invasion."

"It's night time. Sleepy time. Good night," Gia lay down once more. "Give LT back."

Emma got up out of bed and brought the little tiger with her. She crawled into Gia's bed, earning another groan from the yellow Ranger.

"Do you think it's more insect aliens? More aliens like Vrak, or… what?"

"They better not be like Vrak," Gia muttered. She took her tiger back from Emma and then turned her back on her, "I killed him fair and square."

"Rangers!" a bright light suddenly blinded both of them and Tensou hurried into the command center and then started to roll around in a panic. "Rangers, hurry! Get up! We're in trouble! We're in so much trouble!"

"Tensou!" Gia shouted and sat up, "Is this a real emergency? You didn't accidentally delete all your emails from mom again, did you? I told you, they're in the trash. You can get them back. And learn how to use human technology!"

"This isn't about the emails," Tensou said. "Metal Alice is back! And you won't believe who she brought with her! I scanned his energy readings twice! It's Vrak!"

"OW!" Emma shouted as Gia slapped her hard in the arm, "What? I didn't do this!"

"You brought it up," Gia groaned. She and Emma crawled out of bed and followed Tensou to the consoles in the main room. They looked down at the screen. Emma felt frustrated when she saw Metal Alice standing next to a robot that looked quite a bit like Vrak, but it was nothing compared to the anger Gia was giving off. Emma had never been scared of Gia's anger before, and even though it wasn't directed at her, Emma felt very unsafe just standing near the yellow Ranger.

"I'm going to…"

"Wait, yellow Ranger!" Tensou grabbed both her legs before she could leave and held her back, "You can't go out there! We still haven't found your morpher!"

"I don't…"

"Remember the promise you gave to your mother? You were going to be safe and smart and responsible!"

Gia stopped trying to break out of Tensou's arms and looked down at the little robot sadly. She shook her head.

"I can't just sit here, Tensou," she told him. "I thought I killed him. He should be dead. I need to finish him off."

"I… I…" Tensou felt torn. On the one hand, he remembered hearing all about the promise Gia made to her mother. He knew how much Vanessa cared for her daughter, and he remembered the many times he had promised the worried mother that he would do all he could to keep Gia safe, especially once the girls moved into the command center. On the other hand, he cared a great deal for the Rangers, and knew Gia wanted nothing more than to see Vrak destroyed. He knew every moment Vrak survived was another moment where Gia's guilt and grief over her father's death ate at her soul. Tensou didn't like to see pain. "Oh… Gosei's going to take me apart when he finds out what I did…"

"Do you have something?" Emma asked curiously while the little robot walked up to Gosei's figure and opened up the wall right next to his face. He pulled out a small device.

"You know I've been working on a new project to help fight the coming invasion, right?"

"Yeah," the girls both answered. Tensou handed Gia the device, which when she examined closely she noticed it looked a lot like a new morpher.

"It's not complete," Tensou said. "I've not programmed all the weapons and powers. In fact, there's only one set of powers that works with it. Fortunately, it's the only one you need right now."

Tensou rolled over to the wall where the past Ranger figures were all standing. He reached beyond the first row and pulled out a yellow figure that neither Gia nor Emma had ever seen before. He gave it to Gia.

Lock this key into your morpher and you'll become the newest yellow Ranger," Tensou explained. Gia examined the key.

"A pirate?"

"Yeah!" Tensou seemed to light up, "I thought it would be fun! Last time, Gosei didn't let me have a theme. I wanted an animal theme, and was halfway through creating the suits when Gosei said no! That's why your helmets have your Zord animals on them, but the rest of the costume doesn't. This time, he's not here for programming, so I can do what I want."

"A pirate?" Emma asked. "You're going to turn into a pirate Ranger?"

"I like pirates," Tensou nodded. He looked back up at Gia, "Your powers are limited, but these will protect you. Just don't push yourself. Neither one of your parents would be happy to see anything happen to you."

"No one will," Emma added. "Just remember, you can't beat Vrak if you're dead."

"I'll be careful," Gia promised and then gave Tensou a pat on the head, "Thanks for the extra help. I promise I'll bring it back."

"You better! There's a lot more keys I need to program still! What you'll feel isn't even close to half of the power I have in mind."

Gia smirked as she played with the key in her hand, "Perfect. Emma, call the others. Tell them we're taking care of Vrak and Metal Alice for good."

"We better," Emma said as she followed Gia out, "I don't want to have to deal with them and whatever's coming in that invasion."


	4. Vrak The Cyborg

_Author's Note: I feel it's been a while, so, time for a deleted scene! This time, it's from my Samurai Series, and it involves Mike and Emily. Same rules as always._

_Hope you all enjoy the chapter!_

* * *

Gia and Emma teleported from the command center to the part of the city where Vrak and Metal Alice were threatening. They had done nothing to the city itself, and it seemed most people had already fled the scene, making the Rangers' job a little easier. Soon after the girls arrived, the boys and Robo-Knight joined them. Jake went to Gia's side.

"Your morpher…"

"Upgraded… sorta," Gia said and showed him the new morpher and the key to go with it. "Tensou said it's not complete, but it'll get the job done."

Jake nodded his head and turned to where Metal Alice and Vrak were standing. Metal Alice looked just like he remembered, but Vrak seemed very different. He was still recognizable, but he looked more like a robot than before. He had heavy armour and parts of his body had been replaced with robotic pieces. Jake assumed, and he was sure the others had come to the same conclusion, that Metal Alice had found Vrak alive in the wreckage, and did all she could to keep him that way.

"Metal Alice," Robo-Knight shouted as the female robot stepped forward, seeming to take the lead, "You have no purpose here! We have defeated all the threats to the Earth and we will do the same to you."

"Not all the threats," Metal Alice smirked and she gestured to Vrak, "Recognize him?"

"A cyborg!" Noah said and pushed his glasses up his nose to get a better look, "No way! That's awesome!"

All eyes turned to him. He shrugged, "You know, if it wasn't going to kill us."

"He's not going to kill us," Gia shook her head. "I don't care what you've done to him, or how much power he has. He's finished!"

"You think you can stop him?" Metal Alice smirked. "Vrak's defeated you at every turn. You didn't stand a chance against him before I gave him these upgrades! He's got a new, stronger body, and his mind… well, let's just say I reconfigured his less rational thinking."

"Translation, please?" Emma asked and turned to Noah. The blue Ranger didn't need to answer. Metal Alice continued to show off her newest robot.

"I deleted his humanity!"

"So, no big change then, right?" Jake shrugged his shoulders. Troy shook his head.

"Be careful, guys. Metal Alice has obviously spent a lot of time working on him. Don't underestimate the upgrades."

"I'm so sick of robots!" Gia said and pulled out her morpher, "What do you guys say we get this over with!"

"Go go, Megaforce!" the Rangers shouted and they all morphed and charged at the two robots. Jake, Noah, and Robo-Knight settled their sights on Metal Alice while Troy, Emma, and Gia went straight for Vrak.

Jake felt Metal Alice was just as strong as before, which was good for him. It seemed all the time she had been underground she had spent trying to improve Vrak. If Jake was right, that meant he knew all about her weapons and tricks. There was little to nothing she could do to surprise him and his teammates.

"Use all you have!" Jake shouted to Noah and Robo-Knight. "This time, we're not letting anyone get away!"

"Shark Bowgun!" Noah shouted as he blasted at the female robot with all the power he had. It hit her square in the chest and she stumbled backwards. Already her body was starting to give off smoke, but Noah could see he had done no critical damage, which meant he hadn't slowed her down.

"You won't be able to stop me!" Metal Alice returned the favour to the blue Ranger and shot him down with her own blaster. "Robots are the superior race! Unlike humans, we cannot be killed."

She aimed another shot for Noah, but Robo-Knight kicked her hand. She dropped her blaster and then was hit hard in the side by another kick. She hit the ground and saw the robot Ranger standing over her.

"You've chosen the wrong side, Robo-Knight! Humans are weak and they fear what they cannot control! What do you think they'll do to you once they finish me off?"

"I am nothing like you," Robo-Knight made a fist and went in for the punch, but Metal Alice rolled out of the way and picked up her blaster. She converted it back into a sword, jumped back up to her feet and struck Robo-Knight across the back. As he stumbled forward, she kicked him, knocking him over.

"Pathetic. You've spent far too much time with these humans. It's made you weak!"

"Is this weak?" Jake shouted as he ran up to Metal Alice from behind and swung his Snake Axe. His first swing he missed, as she heard him coming and could sense where he wanted to go, but his second swing came around and hit her right in the arm, just below her elbow. Jake had always been proud of his Snake Axe and gleamed when his weapon cut right through her arm, severing it and leaving a dent in her armour on her side. Metal Alice gasped as she recoiled and looked down at what was left of her arm. It was useless now without the hand.

"You will pay for that!" she shouted and pointed her blaster at all three Rangers as Jake helped Noah to his feet and Robo-Knight was getting back to his.

Just a little ways off, Troy, Emma, and Gia were figuring out what exactly an upgraded version of Vrak could do. His armour was almost impenetrable. Emma had fired her Phoenix shot several times but it didn't even leave a scuff, and Troy and Gia had swung their respective weapons and struck him down, but they couldn't leave a scratch.

"Okay, this is annoying," Gia muttered and pulled out her blaster. She wasn't sure what it would do. It was just a sidearm in her new suit but Tensou had been working on giving the Rangers a lot more power. She hoped it could at least match, if not outshoot Emma's Phoenix shot. She fired a blast and hit Vrak right in the center of his body. He didn't stumbled or fall back. It seemed liked he barely felt the blast. When the smoke cleared he was standing completely still, but the look on his face seemed angry.

"Enemy!" he shouted and then the armour going over his shoulders opened up, revealing several small missiles on either side. He fired them off at once at the Rangers and they exploded on the ground at their feet.

"That's new," Emma muttered after hitting the ground. She looked up to see Vrak coming closer, "Metal Alice really went all out with him."

"There has to be something that'll get through that armour," Gia shook her head. She looked at her blaster. It wasn't going to be enough.

Then she looked off to the side. Metal Alice was putting up a good fight, but she didn't have the same power as Vrak. The boys and Robo-Knight had the upper hand. Though she got a few good shots and blasts in, they were slowly taking her down. Then, Gia watched as Robo-Knight held up his Vulcan Cannon, easily the Rangers' most powerful blaster, and he fired it straight at Metal Alice. It didn't destroy her, but it sent her backwards into a pole for the power lines and stunned her body for a moment.

She was now missing an arm, one of her legs was close to coming off and in many places her circuitry was exposed. It wouldn't be long until she was finished. One more shot was all it would take.

And it didn't have to be all that powerful. Gia held her blaster tight in her hands. She could see Vrak getting closer and closer to her but she set her sights on Metal Alice. As soon as the female robot was on her feet again and threatening she still had enough power to stop the Rangers, Gia fired her weapon.

"NO!" Metal Alice cried out as her body began to smoke and spark uncontrollably, and she stumbled around. She dropped to her knees as small explosions started to blow her apart. Vrak, who had just been about to blast his three opponents again, turned to the sound of Metal Alice's cry and watched as one final explosion finished her off, leaving her mangled body on the ground.

"Metal… Alice?" he lowered his weapon and ran towards his robot, giving the Rangers a chance to regroup. Vrak knelt by what was left of Metal Alice and took her in his arms. Robo-Knight was about to blast them both but Troy held up his hand.

"Wait!"

"Red Ranger, I should destroy them both while…"

Troy shook his head and the Rangers watched carefully as Vrak cradled Metal Alice.

"Do not worry, Metal Alice," Vrak assured her body, "The Rangers will be destroyed. The Invasion is on its way, and they will bring more power than you could have ever imagined."

Vrak laid her back on the ground and then stood up, "Thank you, Metal Alice, for your loyalty and for saving my life."

He turned his back on her, "However, you have ruined my body. I must hide, or the Armada may attempt to destroy me."

"Hiding?" Gia shook her head, "You're not going anywhere!"

"Silence, Rangers!" Vrak shouted and shot more missiles from his armour. He shot the Rangers and when they were powered down he glared at each of them individually. "You will fall to a greater power! The Invasion is coming, and they will not spare the lives of those who stand in their way. Take my advice, Rangers, and stand down before it's too late."

"We're not taking advice from you," Troy shook his head. He got to his feet and held out his morpher. Vrak shot one more missile at him. Troy leaped to the side to avoid being blown apart and he hit the ground.

"You have always been stubborn, Rangers," Vrak said. "Perhaps I should just finish you all off now. Morph! I want a good fight."

"Uh, do we do what he says?" Jake turned to Troy. The red Ranger nodded and picked up his morpher from the ground. He rose to his feet. The others followed.

"Let's finish him," he nodded. "Go, Go, Megaforce!"


	5. One Got Away

Troy never thought he would have to face Vrak again. He had had a suspicious feeling that the war was far from over, but he thought he had seen Vrak die. He thought he had finished off all the aliens and the monsters from before. He thought there was something new coming.

With Metal Alice's broken frame lying off to the side, the Rangers were halfway done finishing off the robotic pair, but Vrak was the stronger one. In the months since the end of Malkor and the end of the Insectoids she had spent all her time giving Vrak more power and more upgrades to make him unstoppable. She had dedicated all her time and resources to help him, and in the end, it cost her gravely. The Rangers had defeated her quickly.

Unfortunately, they couldn't do the same to Vrak. Troy watched and felt his stomach turn as his teammates were taken down aggressively by Vrak's powers. Even Robo-Knight, the physically strongest of them all, was having a hard time against the cyborg. When he hit the ground, Troy could feel it quaking.

"Don't give up, Rangers!" he shouted and powered up to Ultra Mode. He would need to use everything he had to take Vrak down. They couldn't risk letting him get away. They couldn't afford to have him on their minds with the invasion. They would need to focus all their strength on what was coming.

He swung his Ultra Sword at Vrak but it barely left a mark. The cyborg did stumble backwards, but he retaliated with a swipe of his own blade. Troy was slashed across the chest and bent over slightly to cover himself. Fortunately, his armour had protected him from injury, but he was going to feel that in the morning.

Seeing his teammates lying off to the side, trying to recover from Vrak's last attack on them, Troy knew he had to stay strong. He clutched his Ultra Sword tightly in his hand. He would literally have to give this battle everything he had, and he wasn't afraid of doing so. He closed his eyes for a quick moment and focused all his power, strength, and will into his sword. It lit up a bright red and Troy unleashed everything he had on Vrak. There was a huge burst of power and the bright light blinded him and Vrak. When they were forced to part ways Troy was knocked off his feet, out of his uniform and into the road. He skidded backwards several feet before coming to a stop. He felt drained and done but managed to lift his head to see what damage he had done to Vrak.

"No… way…" he groaned and tried to roll over to his stomach. The other Rangers came to his side to make sure he was okay.

"Troy!" Emma fell next to him and wanted to help him up, but he cried out in pain. She set him down to let him rest. It was hard to believe, but Troy was down for the count.

Jake stomped his foot, "That was everything and Vrak's barely even dented!"

"You don't stand a chance, Rangers!" Vrak cried. "I have more power and more weapons, and I possess a superior mind. Your human ways aren't a match for my strength."

"Let's fight robot against robot!" Robo-Knight challenged and ran in for the fight.

Robo-Knight had the strength to match Vrak. When he threw a punch it could cause damage to Vrak's armour, though it was minimal. Fortunately, the exchange was mutual. Robo-Knight couldn't feel any of the superficial damage Vrak was doing to his armour.

"I admit, you are a formidable opponent, Robo-Knight," Vrak said. "I should have fought harder for your services when I had the chance. Letting the Rangers have your strength was a mistake."

"I protect the Earth," Robo-Knight said. "Nothing will keep me from my true purpose. I would never work for you!"

"Then you will die like the humans!" Vrak fired off more of his missiles and they each hit Robo-Knight somewhere on his body. Robo-Knight stumbled backwards with every hit until it was too much. His powers were nearing zero. He wouldn't have the strength to keep up the fight, and if he let his powers drain there would be no recovery for him. When the missiles ceased their attacks, Robo-Knight transformed and jetted off into the sky.

"Robo-Knight!" Noah called up into the air but it was clear their robot ally was gone. Noah turned to the rest of his teammates. Troy was unconscious now, and clearly wouldn't be ready for another battle anytime soon, and Vrak had all but completely annihilated Robo-Knight. Even if he did return, it would likely be a long time before Robo-Knight was back to full power.

"Damn," Jake muttered.

Noah shook his head. He picked up his Shark Bowgun and then turned to Emma.

"Its obvious close range doesn't work. What do you say we take aim and take him out for good?"

Emma held up her Phoenix Shot and nodded, "Jake, Gia, cover Troy!"

"Wait!" Jake called but the pink and blue Rangers were already off trying to find somewhere safe to shoot their weapons. Their moving away from the group caught Vrak's attention as he turned his gaze to follow them. Noah and Emma ducked behind a car and could hear Vrak's heavy footsteps coming closer.

"We've got to do this together," Noah told Emma. "Troy and Robo-Knight alone weren't enough to stop him, so if we combine our powers we should be able to slow him down."

"Slow him down?" Emma shook her head, "I want him stopped. Give it everything you've got!"

"Sounds like a plan. Ready? Fire!"

Noah and Emma popped out from behind the car and shot their respective weapons with all the power they had. They fired relentlessly, using up more and more of their energy every time. Fortunately, the closer Vrak moved into them, the harder it was to miss. Eventually, they both put every bit of power they had left into one final blast. There was a huge explosion in the neighbourhood and the car they had taken cover behind exploded to pieces.

Jake and Gia saw nothing but smoke for the longest time. When it cleared and they saw the car was gone, they began to worry. Even if their best friends had been successful in taking down Vrak, they wouldn't feel settled until they saw they were okay.

Unfortunately, the clearing smoke only revealed Vrak's standing form. He had taken a lot more damage. The exploding car seemed to have done its job to help the Rangers, but Vrak was still functional.

And there was no pink or blue in sight.

"Emma!" Gia called out, hoping for a response. Jake adopted another strategy. He set his sights on Vrak, powered up to Ultra Mode but kept his Snake Axe – his favourite weapon.

"You're gonna pay for that, you monster!" he cried and threw himself at the cyborg. He swung his axe and put a dent in the right shoulder armour where Vrak fired some of his missiles, but it still wasn't enough. Vrak turned around and smacked the Axe from the black Rangers' hand.

"Your determination will be the very thing that gets you killed!" he cried out.

"Not if it kills you first!" Jake shouted. Without his Axe he had no weapon with which to fight. Instead of calling his Ultra Sword, he decided he would beat Vrak the same way he beat up other monsters who threatened his friends – his fists.

He landed a few decisive blows. Now that Vrak's armour was weakened it took less strength to cause him harm. Unfortunately, Jake was learning quickly that his fists weren't going to be anywhere near enough power. He threw a punch, but missed, and Vrak grabbed him around the neck in return. He lifted the black Ranger high off the ground. First, the Ultra Mode failed him. Then his suit disappeared. Jake was left dangling, gasping for air in nothing but his civilian clothes.

"Honestly, pathetic," Vrak said and tossed him aside. Jake felt himself flying through the air and was not looking forward to landing. From their fights and the explosions, the road had been blown apart. He was in for a rough landing.

Suddenly, he was pushed off his trajectory as something grabbed him. He landed, but it was much softer. When his vision stopped spinning he looked up and saw the yellow Ranger setting him down gently.

"Gia…"

"Play dead," she told him. Jake looked up at her curiously. She shook her head.

"Play dead! He won't think twice. He's a machine."

"Don't try to stop him," Jake whispered. "He's gotten the better of everyone else."

"Play dead," Gia insisted again. Jake looked through her visor and could faintly see her eyes. He recognized her look and knew her gears were spinning. She had a plan, and that worried him.

"Gia…"

She put her morpher in his pocket. Jake frowned deeply. She could still be a Ranger if he had her morpher, but if she powered down and she didn't have it with her, she couldn't morph again. Jake was too weak to get up and give it back to her. He wasn't sure what she planned on doing.

"If this doesn't go as planned, I love you. You're the best thing that's happened to me and I really wanted to be able to share everything with you," she said to him and then turned around to face Vrak, who was now only standing a few feet away from her.

"Five down. One to go," Vrak said. "Yellow, when was the last time you spoke to daddy dearest?"

Gia didn't answer. Instead, she darted off and ran to the left. Vrak growled and rolled his eye as he turned and went after her.

"Fitting. A pirate on the run. I may be damaged, Yellow, but I will catch you, and when I do, I'll dispose of you just like I did the rest of your friends."

Jake rolled on to his stomach and lifted his head as he watched Vrak chase Gia down the street. He reached into his pocket and felt her morpher.

"Don't do anything stupid," he whispered. He closed his eyes and tried to hold back the tears, "Please, Gia. Don't do anything stupid."

Suddenly, there was a loud explosion. Several of the homes and business near the blast collapsed. Jake could see the upper floors of buildings come tumbling down. Homes and buildings further away were shaken up. Windows shattered or broke and anything loose fell off. Car alarms blared all through the city of the cars that hadn't gone up in smoke. Jake felt debris rain down on him and covered his head until it stopped.

When he looked up, he saw Vrak dragging himself down the street. He was without armour and looked stripped down to the bare essentials to what was keeping him alive, but he was alive. Heavily beaten, but still alive. Jake didn't know what Gia's plan was, but he knew her plan never could have involved Vrak walking away.

"You son of a bitch," he growled and tried to push himself up to his feet, but by the time he made it, Vrak was already gone. Jake fell to his knees and then completely passed out.


	6. Fleeing The Scene Of The Crime

The first thing to hit Troy was the sound of emergency sirens. At first they were soft, almost completely absent, but they quickly grew louder and louder. After a few seconds, Troy could barely stand it, and with a groan he moved his arms up and tried to cover his ears. He could sense his head was killing him and the noise was doing nothing to help.

"Take it easy, son," a voice told him and he felt a hand on his chest. He opened his eyes and saw a police officer looking over him. "You're going to be okay. We're bringing over the stretcher now."

Troy shook his head. He knew he was hurt, but it was nothing Tensou wouldn't be able to fix up at the command center.

"I'm… I'm fine," he assured the police officer.

"This whole neighbourhood was under attack. After some of the blasts, we can't be sure you are."

"I am," Troy said and sat up to prove it. It hurt a lot more than he let on, but he didn't want to be taken to the hospital. He didn't want to have to worry his parents. They were always very worried when he was out during an attack even though Rebecca always did her best to keep them calm. "Please, I don't need help."

"Kid..."

"I don't need help," Troy said. He did use the police officer's hand to get to his feet, but then that was it. He started to walk away from all the rubble. He wanted to go and look for the rest of his teammates, but he knew he couldn't without the police officer going after him and insisting again he needed help.

Instead, he walked past the police line and looked around the crowd. He saw his parents had turned up and walked over to them.

"Troy!" his mother threw her arms around him and held him in a tight hug. "What were you doing here? You said you were going for a run!"

"I ran into the others," Troy came up with another quick lie. He had told his parents he was going for a run when he got the call of Vrak and Metal Alice in the city. Unfortunately, he was never really one to take a run through the city. He always went out somewhere a little more private. He preferred dirt paths to sidewalks and streets. "We were going to the Brainfreeze when the robots turned up."

"The Brainfreeze?" Rebecca pouted, "And you didn't invite me?"

"I was going to bring you home something," Troy insisted and was grateful she was going with his lie. It was always more believable to his parents when she backed him up, even when it was in the form of complaining.

"Are you okay?" his father asked him and tried to look over the numerous cuts along his forehead, face and arms. "The whole neighbourhood went up a couple of blocks down! You weren't right in it, were you?"

"I wouldn't be alive if I had been," Troy answered to reassure his parents, but then he felt something sickening creep up inside him. He had been the first of his friends to fall. He had no idea where the others were. He strongly doubted and accident would take place a few blocks down at the very same time he and the others were using all their powers to try and defeat Vrak. One of them, if not all of them, must have been there.

"Dude!" Troy suddenly heard a familiar voice and saw the crowd being parted as someone tried to get through. When he was close enough, Troy recognized him as Jake. He left his parents and Rebecca and hurried over to the black Ranger.

"Jake!"

"I'm fine, dude," Jake assured him. "Got my bell rung, but Tensou's implants mean I don't get concussions anymore. I'll be fine. How are you?"

"What happened to the others?" Troy asked. He figured the fact that he was standing was answer enough for Jake. Besides, it didn't matter how he was doing until the rest of his team was pulled out of the wreckage. Jake tried to lower his voice, so the crowd of people who had gathered couldn't overhear.

"Robo-Knight fled. He tried his hardest but he didn't have it in him to stop Vrak."

"He fled?"

"He was taking a pretty bad beating," Jake shrugged. "I question it too, but I guess I can't blame him. It's not like we've never had to retreat."

"But he left you? He left us?"

"I'm sure he has reasons," Jake said. "Besides, he's not the one I'm worried about. He's just a machine. It's the others."

"What about them?"

"Noah and Emma tried to shoot Vrak from far. They managed to get through a bit of the armour, but it took blowing up a car to do so. I haven't seen them since."

"They blew up a car? Were they morphed?"

"I don't know if that makes a difference. They fired all they had and the car's explosion… If the cops don't find them soon, I'm worried there's gonna be nothing to find."

"And Gia?"

"She ran off," Jake lowered his head. Troy frowned. He had a hard time believing Robo-Knight would disappear mid-battle, but there was no way he was ever going to believe that Gia would take off in the middle of a fight against Vrak, especially if it meant leaving the others behind.

"Where? Why?"

Jake simply shook his head and then pointed down the street. Troy looked, saw the neighbourhood that had gone up in smoke and felt his knees weaken. He had to grab Jake's arm.

"Was she morphed?"

"Dude, several blocks are levelled!" Jake frowned. "Do you think it matters?"

"What about Vrak? There's no way…"

"He walked off. We hurt him, but he's still alive."

"Then our friends are alive," Troy said. He walked back to the police line and crossed under it. Cops tried to get him to stop, but he pushed them aside, saying he had to find his friends. Jake watched the red Ranger go and shook his head before he realized Troy was right. He jumped over the police line and let nothing stop him in his search.

"I wanna ignore the cops!" Rebecca said and followed her brother and step-brother across the police line. The Burrows and the police tried to stop her, but she assumed her friends were somewhere hurt and waiting to be found, and the more eyes looking, the faster the search and rescue would take.

Suddenly, she heard a whisper calling her over. She looked up and saw a man hiding in the remains of one of the house that barely managed to stay up. She then looked around and noticed he was calling her over specifically.

"Please don't be an alien," she whispered as she made her way to the house. She stepped into the shadows and her eyes adjusted quickly. She looked to the man and smiled when she saw it was Dr. Oliver.

"You're the Ranger teacher," Rebecca smiled. "Are you here to help?"

"I found the others," Dr. Oliver nodded his head. "Call your brothers."

Rebecca did as she was asked, and subtly called for Troy and Jake. When they made their way into the house, Dr. Oliver told them to duck.

"Why?" Troy asked, but he wouldn't question a former Ranger when he saw to duck. He lowered himself and suddenly felt the ground shaking. He heard a huge explosion and his eyes widened.

"Are you crazy!" he shouted but he was taken by the arm and pulled to the back of the house.

"We have to get out of here."

"My parents were out there…"

"It wasn't big enough to hurt anyone," Dr. Oliver assured the red Ranger. "We just can't have anyone out there looking for you."

"What? Why?" Jake asked. "If my dad thinks I was caught in that he's going to flip!"

"I know, but we need to make sacrifices," Dr. Oliver brought the boys and Rebecca to the backyard. The fence had fallen, giving them access to the street. On the street was a big black van, "Get inside."

"I've seen this movie," Rebecca shook her head. Jake grabbed her arm and pulled her into the van.

"No one gets abducted by a Ranger."

"Rangers get abducted all the time," Rebecca answered.

"You're not a Ranger," Troy reminded her with a faint smile. Rebecca crossed her arms over her chest.

"Hey, hey, no need to taunt me."

"You're all going to have a purpose," Dr. Oliver assured them as he started the car and drove off. Rebecca looked out the window.

"Won't anyone see us in this big, black van? We're not exactly subtle?"

"Nope," Dr. Oliver answered. The three turned to the driver's seat but saw no one was there. They all gasped and tried to grab the wheel but felt themselves bumping into someone.

"Hey, watch it!" Dr. Oliver appeared out of nowhere. "I may be invisible, but that doesn't mean I'm not here. And put your seatbelts on. As Rangers, you never know who's going to land on your car."

"Don't you mean what?" Jake asked.

"What?" Dr. Oliver looked into his rear view mirror and then nodded, "Oh, yeah. Sure."


	7. A Place To Rest

Rebecca climbed out of the van when it stopped and looked around. Dr. Oliver had driven far out into the woods and the parked the car in a dark tunnel deep underground.

"Are you sure you're not part evil villain?" Rebecca asked. "This is creepy."

"I like my privacy," Dr. Oliver assured her. "I had to make sure no one was going to stumble upon my basement by accident."

Rebecca whispered to Jake, "This is the creepiest basement I've ever… ooh! Bones!"

Rebecca jumped when she saw the fossil of what appeared to be a dinosaur. She had been to a museum a few times growing up but never bothered to learn the names of the dinosaurs there. She had always been too busy coming up with a plan to try and touch them.

"Dr. Oliver, you do know you have the smallest brachiosaurus remains in your basement, right?" Jake asked his teacher while Rebecca touched the bones. Suddenly, a door opened up. Rebecca jumped back and hid behind her brother. Dr. Oliver invited the teens through the door.

"I did."

"He's a freaking weirdo," Rebecca shook her head and clung on to Troy as they walked in.

The red and black Rangers recognized the basement immediately from the time Dr. Oliver had invited them to show them their Ranger history. Rebecca looked around in amazement.

"Your basement looks like a lair!"

"It's a base," he said. "The Ranger base. It's where I do my work."

"Correcting homework?"

"Ranger work," Dr. Oliver sighed. "I correct homework upstairs."

"Wait, I thought you lived in the city."

"I do."

"Where are we?" Rebecca whispered to Troy. He put his arm around her.

"Dr. Oliver, Vrak's still out there somewhere. We appreciate your help but we need to find him and stop him before…"

"The invasion. I know. But don't bother killing yourselves. From what I caught of the fight, Vrak was pretty beaten. He won't be coming out of hiding anytime soon. And you all need to save your energy. The invasion isn't far off now."

"That would be great," Jake shook his head, "But we're not all here. There's only three of us."

"I know," Dr. Oliver answered and he walked to a curtain. When he pulled it back, Jake, Troy, and Rebecca found their missing friends.

"As soon as the fight was over I got to looking and brought them all back here. They're pretty badly off, but there's no reason why they won't wake up."

"Badly off?" Jake asked and clenched his fists as he looked to Gia and Noah especially. They were completely still and badly beaten up. With Noah it seemed like most of his body had been burned, which would mean a painful recovery once he woke up. Emma was in very much the same state, which made sense considering they had been together. The worst of their burns had been treated and wrapped already, which was a load off Jake's mind, but they were both still out of it. Seeing his best friend lying there, helpless, and dependant on the medical aid, Jake couldn't help but get flashbacks of his family after the car accident.

So he didn't even bother to look at Gia. Already, from the corner of his eyes, he had seen it was bad. He didn't want to know.

"You did all this?" Troy asked, seeing how his friends had already been treated.

"I've learned a lot in my time," Dr. Oliver nodded and he looked to the three Rangers. He had seen teammates and friends in such a position and he knew it was hard, but he had to remind himself what it looked like without the experience. He knew from his own life that Rangers were hard to take down, and that as long as they were still breathing, they had a good chance at bouncing back. Without that experience and knowledge, these were just kids looking at their badly beaten friends wondering if they would make it through the night. He put his hand on Troy's shoulder and squeezed it reassuringly, "They'll be fine. I wouldn't lie to you about that."

As if to prove Dr. Oliver right, and to reassure her friends, Emma suddenly started to stir and groan. Dr. Oliver walked to a cabinet over her bed and grabbed a bottle of pills and some water for her while Jake, Troy, and Rebecca gathered around. Emma opened her eyes slowly and looked to each of her friends.

"Did we win?"

"Vrak got away," Jake shook his head sadly. "Barely, but he did. We gave him everything and it still wasn't enough."

"Jake says he lost his armour, though," Troy added. "We know it's not impenetrable anymore."

"Well… whatever worked, I don't think I want to repeat it," Emma whispered and grabbed her head. Jake helped her to sit up as Dr. Oliver offered her the pills and the water. She accepted both gratefully and threw the pills to the back of her throat and then downed all the water in the glass. When she was done, she offered the glass back to Dr. Oliver and then turned to Jake. She had seen Troy go down and assumed he knew just about as much as she did. "Can I get a recap?"

"You mean after the car explosion?" Jake said. "You and Noah were blasted to God knows where…"

"Inside the corner store," Dr. Oliver answered. Rebecca shot him a strange look. She knew he had been the one to find the Rangers and so he did technically know where they had been, but it was an odd place to add detail.

Jake continued, "When the smoke cleared, we couldn't see you guys. I thought the explosion took you."

"How's Noah?" Emma asked and looked one bed over. Noah was still resting, and seemed to be carrying many of the same wounds as her, which made sense given they had been side by side last she remembered.

"He'll be fine," Dr. Oliver promised. Jake nodded his head, but he seemed hesitant about it.

"We hope. Anyways, after you guys were down, I tried my hand with Vrak but I guess it wasn't enough. He got a few pretty good shots in. He kicked my ass. I was down, but not out. Gia stopped me really taking a bad hit and then she just ran off and brought Vrak with her. She made him think we were all done for, I guess."

Jake refused to look over his shoulder, though everyone else did. If his best friend was beaten up as badly as he was after just a couple of blasts and a car explosion, he didn't want to see what his girlfriend looked like after an entire neighbourhood was levelled.

"There was just a big explosion," he said. "I don't know what she did, but she really put all she had into it."

"And it wasn't enough?" Emma asked and Jake saw the tears coming to her eyes. He nodded sadly.

"By the time I could see through the smoke, all I had to look at was Vrak dragging himself off. He wasn't looking good, but he was alive. I tried to finish him off but he was gone before I could."

"So he's on his third life?" Emma remarked and then grabbed her pillow and tossed it across the base. "That lying, cheating, vile bastard gets three lives and three chances at…"

"Emma…" Troy reached for her but she slapped his hands away.

"Don't! After everything he's done? He's tortured us! He's put our families and friends in danger. He kidnapped babies! He set up that train crash! He's taunted and abused Gia! He killed Joe!"

"Emma…"

"Don't put any of your hopeful bullshit into this, Troy!" Emma shouted at the red Ranger. "He should be dead by now! There's no reason he should still be alive unless we're the ones who are fucked!"

"Why don't we let her rest?" Dr. Oliver said and tried to usher the three teens away from Emma's bed. He knew this wasn't like the pink Ranger. Though her body seemed to have recovered enough for her to be conscious again, it was clear she would still need a little time.

All of them would need a little time. Dr. Oliver remembered how it felt for himself when he had to face villain after villain. Though he did enjoy his time in the spandex, and sometimes he missed the thrill of the power and the battle, he would never forget how tough it was to live through. He wasn't ashamed to admit that some night he would lie in bed and cry because he wanted to be just a regular teen.

So he knew what it was like for the Megaforce Rangers to think their battles were over and they could start their normal lives, only to find out that wasn't true. He knew it was hard to know there was more to come, and they were still only in the beginning of what was, without a doubt, going to be the hardest time of their lives.

The worst was yet to come, and they all needed some time to cope and come up with the best way to handle it.


	8. Worth The Risk

"Here, extra syrup, I know you like it," Jake said with a smile as he handed Noah a plate of pancakes. Morning had finally come, and the new day brought raised spirits to the Rangers. Noah and Gia had both woken up sometime in the night and by the looks of things, they were going to be okay after a little more rest. All the Rangers were going to be back to full form soon enough.

"Thanks," Noah took the plate and started to cut up his pancake. As he did, he noticed Jake still looking down at him worriedly and rolled his eyes, "Stop fussing, I'm fine."

Jake nodded his head, smiled at his best friend again, and then turned around to look at Gia. It was hard seeing both of them in their condition, and Jake was still worried something could happen, but it was very comforting to see them both awake and responsive. He pointed to Gia's stack of pancakes, "Eat up. I made the blueberry smile just for you."

"I'm not hungry," Gia shook her head. She offered the plate to Noah, who took it without a second thought. He was starving and he loved pancakes.

"Gia…"

"Do you still have my morpher?" Gia asked. Jake nodded his head and reached into his pocket. He pulled it out.

"You know, I've got to say, I really like the pirate thing going on. I've always wanted to be a pirate. Think it'll look as cool in black?"

"Sure," Gia answered. She took her morpher, "Help me up."

"You need to rest."

"I slept for sixteen hours. I've rested. Help me up."

"Why?" Jake asked but offered his hand. Gia held it and pulled herself out of bed and to her feet. When she felt stable enough, she started to walk to the door. Jake looked to Noah, but was satisfied his best friend would be okay for a moment without him. He started to go after Gia.

"Where are you going?"

"Out."

"Like that? Gia, you're…" Jake didn't finish. Gia slammed the door behind her as she left. Jake checked the computers and saw Dr. Oliver's scans still had the Armada a few days away from Earth, and he knew there was no way Vrak could have repaired himself already in time for battle. He wouldn't have to worry much about her, and could give her a few minutes of space. Fortunately, now she had a morpher with her.

So he turned back to the three beds, this time he set his gaze on Emma. The pink Ranger was still in a bit of a sour mood, but she was feeling well enough to eat. Jake looked to her curiously and she shrugged her shoulders.

"You know what's going on."

Jake sighed and nodded his head. At that moment, Rebecca came down the stairs with a newspaper in her hand. She walked to the table and set it down. Jake and Troy walked over to it while Emma and Noah slowly made their way out of bed and over to the table. When everyone was around, Rebecca pointed to the headline she wanted them to read. It was about them.

"Six dead in neighbourhood explosion."

"Mom's gonna be pissed," Noah muttered. "Do we have to be dead?"

"I don't like it," Troy nodded, "But you have to admit, it does take some of the pressure off."

"Your parents are probably freaking out," Rebecca said to her brother with a heavy sigh.

"All our parents are freaking out," Jake said, "But maybe Troy's right. Maybe it's for the best. Even with Dr. Oliver and Ms. Chesterfield helping us out, having to go to school on our days off, or doing homework was a pain in the ass. Not to mention, I hated lying to dad all the time. There are only so many times I can have a rough practice before he starts to get suspicious."

"So, are we just going to be loners now?" Rebecca asked and pointed to the headline. "If we're dead, it's going to be a pretty big deal if someone spots us in the city. We can't expect people to keep quiet."

"We can always all bunk in the command center," Emma suggested. She wasn't happy the newspaper had announced her dead and was sure her mother, Vanessa and Jordan, if they got the news, were also freaking out over it, but she hoped that when she did appear again as the pink Ranger, that would relieve them. "It's not perfect, but it's got room."

"Don't you hate living there?" Jake asked.

"I hate it, but it keeps us away from the public eye. It'll keep our families safe. I doubt any of you would like a repeat of what happened to Joe to happen to your parents."

"It's a good point," Troy stated. "Once this war is over for good, we can go home and relieve our families. Until then, this is what works best for them. We need to stay out of sigh as much as possible. Too many people were put in danger in our last war just for knowing who we were. We can't have that happen this time."

"So, are we just Power Rangers, now?" Noah asked. "No more… us?"

"We can still be us," Jake assured him. "We just have to do it privately. I'm sure Tensou will still let you work on some experiments. There's a field not too far from the command center where I can play soccer. Emma's got a new scene for pictures and a new trail to ride her bike, and Troy and Gia… can do whatever they want."

"What about me?" Rebecca pointed to the paper again, "Hello, six dead. I'm dead too. Why don't I get a hobby?"

"You can do your hobby too," Jake rolled his eyes. "Whatever it is you want to do, you can find a place and do it."

"Thank you," Rebecca smirked. Dr. Oliver came down the stairs at that moment, biting on a piece of toast he made for himself after preparing pancakes for the Rangers. She pointed to him, "What about Dr. Oliver? He knows we're not dead."

"Your secret's safe with me," Dr. Oliver assured her. "When you're feeling up to it, you can teleport back to your command center, but you are always welcome here. In fact, if you stop by often enough, I can get your groceries and anything else you may need."

"So we're set," Jake smiled. "It might take some getting used to, but I think we can do it."

"Hopefully so," Troy nodded his head. Emma picked up the paper and read the article over with a sigh. She didn't like the idea of being dead, but she had to admit liking having all her ties severed by the story. If she was going to have to be a Ranger again, she wanted to be independent. No one who couldn't protect themselves was going to get wrapped up in all the danger and secrets. She felt better knowing the people she loved were either safe beneath spandex, or safely out of danger completely.

Until she heard a new set of feet coming down the stairs. Gia had left, but she assumed the yellow Ranger wouldn't be back yet. She, and the others, turned to see who it was.

"Emma?"

Her heart sank and fluttered at once. It was Jordan. He hurried down the stairs and looked around for her. When his eyes fell on her he ran over, "You're alive! I knew it! I knew it had to be true!"

He scooped her up in his arms and hugged her lovingly. Emma did the same for a quick second before she tried to push him away.

"Jordan…"

"You're probably super pissed at me right now," he told her. "But I couldn't do it. I'm so sorry."

"You shouldn't be here."

"I know, I just… I don't care."

"I do!"

"I don't," Jordan shook his head. "Look, I know monsters are dangerous and being a Ranger is dangerous and knowing who you are is dangerous but… I just can't separate myself from that. Not like this. I can't always wonder how you're doing, if you're okay, or when I'll see you next. I don't like it."

"If anything happens…"

"Let it!"

"I don't want to lose you," Emma put her hands on his chest and shoved him away. He grabbed her arms and pulled her back in.

"I'll do anything," he told her. "If I have to live in a tiny cell in the command center with no contact to anyone but you for the next ten years, I'll do it."

"Jordan…"

"I'll train day and night with you Rangers so I can protect myself. Hell, I'll train harder so that, if I have to, I can keep you safe too. I'll learn how to help repair weapons or Zords and stuff so I can be useful. I'll help you figure out how to stop monsters. I'm miserable without you, Emma. Please, please let me stay. Let me stay or I can't…"

His eyes started to water as he gently cupped her face in his hands, "There's no one else I'd rather be with. There's nothing else I'd rather do. I'm ready to take the risks. I'm ready to do whatever you need me to do as long as I get to spend the rest of my life with you."

"Jordan, that's sweet, but… wait, what?"

"I… uh…" Jordan realized what he had let slip from his mouth and scratched the back of his neck nervously. He looked to Emma, and then to the others. He saw they had all heard him. He took a deep breath and then reached into his pocket. He pulled out a small box and dropped to one knee.

"Emma Goodall… No, wait, dammit, Jordan, you rehearsed this. Emma Moran-Goodall… or is it Goodall-Moran? You told me but I get confused…"

"Goodall last," Emma answered. "But Jordan…"

"I'm serious, Emma. I'm willing to give you everything if you let me spend the rest of my life with you."

"Jordan…"

"Before you say no," Jordan shook his head, "Please think about what'll make us both happy. I know, every moment I'm with you is more painful than anything the aliens can do to me. Having you by my side for the rest of my life, even if that's only another day or too, would mean the world to me."

"You say that, but… torture hurts."

"Do you love me?"

"Yes. Of course, that's why I don't want to see you getting hurt…"

"I tried the sidelines thing. I tried distancing myself and not getting involved with the Rangers while I was upstate and… it was too hard. Waiting for your text, waiting for a good time to visit, waiting to know if you were alive or not killed me."

"Metaphorically. There's going to be nothing metaphorical…"

"Emma, I know. I'm willing to take that risk. I'm willing to do anything so we can be together. Please…"

"I…"

"I love you, Emma. I've thought about this over and over again. I've considered all the possibilities. If you say yes, then even Gia killing me right now will make everything worth it. Please?"

Emma bit her lip but then cracked a smile. She nodded her head.

"You promise…"

"I can handle it," Jordan said with a big grin on his face. "So…"

"Yes."

"Yes!" Jordan took the ring from the box, slid it on her finger and then jumped up and took her in his arms. He kissed her passionately.

"Aww, I love happy endings," Rebecca smiled and leaned against Troy's shoulder as she watched. "I also love how she made him beg."

Troy shrugged to shake his sister off, "I guess having an extra hand can't hurt us too much."

"Extra, extra," Rebecca said. "Or do you keep forgetting I'm dead too."

Troy playfully nudged his sister.

Suddenly, Jordan let out a cry. Everyone turned to him, startled by his sudden outburst. Jordan looked around and shrugged.

"Sorry. I anticipated a bit of a beating from Gia. So… uh, not that I want to get beaten up for this but… where is she? Is she actually dead?"

"No," Emma shook her head and then crossed her arms, "And why did you sound a little excited there?"

"I didn't. I was just asking… curiously. Is Gia really dead?"

"Now you're smiling."

"I'm happy! We're engaged! It's a happy moment. I can't wipe the smile off my face."

"Gia needed some fresh air," Jake said.

"So she's just outside?" Jordan asked with a subtle sigh. Emma punched him in the chest.

"Why is the smile gone now? Isn't this a happy moment?"

"You just punched me!" Jordan frowned and rubbed his chest. Emma shook her head.

"I punched you because the smile dropped."

"Alright, is Gia dead or not?"

"Not. She's just outside," Emma answered. Jordan exaggerated a sigh of relief and then his smile.

"I'm happy. See," he pointed to his face. "Thankfully she's alive and I have a beating to look forward to from your very best friend."

Emma rolled her eyes, "Here we go…"


	9. Leap Of Despair

Gia found an isolated spot in the woods to look out at the view. She was on the edge of a deep drop, but she could see out for miles. There were cities in the distance, but most of what she saw was trees, mountains and wildlife.

She had to admit, though she didn't share the same passion as Emma about conservation, they did live on a beautiful planet. It was so full of life and beauty. Looking out, she understood why it was so important to protect the Earth. If aliens were coming, and they were willing to lay waste to everything to build a new empire, Gia had to do whatever it took to protect this landscape and the people and creatures she shared it with.

But as important as her duty was, it was hard. And the longer she worked at it, the more it seemed hopeless. She had already believed Vrak to be dead once, so to hear he had not just survived his own destruction, but he had come back stronger had angered and hurt her. But she followed the advice of her friends and her family – she didn't give it. She didn't even let it get to her. When she had run off and blown up a neighbourhood, she had a strategy in mind. She had taken cover just before the blast to give herself the best chance possible for surviving. She had left her morpher with Jake so that it wouldn't get lost or destroyed. She had put enough distance between herself and Vrak so that when he blew up, she wouldn't go with him. She had put enough distance between herself and her friends to protect them, and had chosen a part of town that had already been evacuated to limit the number of casualties. She had done all she could, and she had given the fight all she had, and Vrak still walked off.

Meanwhile, her father was still dead in the ground.

She just had one wish: she wanted Vrak dead. Her wish seemed no closer to coming true. No matter how much she tried, she couldn't do it. She was just going to have to learn to give up. She would never be able to avenge her father. She would never be able to make Vrak pay. She could never make him feel the pain he had caused her.

And maybe it was meant to be that way. Maybe she wasn't supposed to win. Maybe, Vrak was supposed to be the one to come up on top. After all, there had to be a reason he seemed so indestructible and always felt so weak. Maybe he was the better of the two of them.

Her eyes were soaked with tears, and her sleeve was covered in snot. She looked down at the hundreds of cuts, scratches, and bruises on her body. She had barely come out of her own attack alive, and yet Vrak had managed to walk away. Gia didn't care that his armour had been gone or that he was just a skeleton of what he had been before the explosion. The fact of the matter was that she had been close to death, and he was walking around.

Again.

But she was determined not to let him win. It was possible he was the better opponent. It was possible he was supposed to be the one to have everything in the end, but she wasn't going to let him take it from her. She was going to decide her own fate.

She was about to take another final step forward when she heard something coming up behind her. She paused, put her foot back on solid ground and turned around in time to see her friends, Dr. Oliver, and to her surprise Jordan.

"You came out pretty far," Jake remarked and walked up next to her. "Are you feeling better?"

Gia gave a slight nod but changed the topic immediately, "What are you guys doing out here?"

"Promise you won't freak out?" Emma asked her. Gia frowned, worried for a moment, until her gaze shifted over to Jordan.

"Does it have anything to do with him? He's not living with us, is he?"

Emma nodded her head slowly, "Yes, but…"

"I thought you didn't want our moms or Jordan to be involved."

"I didn't, but Jordan said he's willing to take the risk and…" Emma nervously pulled her hand out of her pocket. She knew her best friend would be happy for her that she found someone she was happy with and wanted to spend the rest of her life with, but she knew that wouldn't be Gia's only reaction.

Gia's eyes immediately fell on the ring. At first she didn't get it, but once it started to sink in, she knew exactly what it meant. She instantly shifted her gaze over to Jordan, who the entire time had been covering half of his body with Emma's, as if hiding behind her.

"What's up, Gia?" he asked with a slight nod of his head, "Been busy lately?"

"Yep," Gia nodded. She took a step forward. Jordan pulled Emma in front of him and tried to smile at Gia to keep her calm.

"Doing what?"

"Destroying aliens twice as big, twice as strong, and twice as powerful as you."

"Oh, cool. I've just been going to school. You know, the boring stuff."

"Oh, yeah?" Gia took another step forward. "Just school?"

"Looking into police training," Jordan said. "You know, I want to be a police officer, right? Stand up for what's good, protect the innocent from the bad guys. I'm a very upstanding guy."

"You gonna move from behind Emma, then, Mr. Police Officer in training?"

Jordan put his arms around her, "I love her so much."

"Don't use me as a shield," Emma pulled out from his arms and tried to move away from him, but he followed her.

"Oh, by the way," Jordan made sure to keep Emma standing between him and Gia at all times, "There was this thing I kind of wanted to ask you."

"Yeah? What?" Gia asked.

"Emma and I have been dating a long time, right?"

"Are you asking me?"

"Uh… We… we have."

"You sure?"

"Yes."

"So?"

"Well, I… uh… can I… uh… I want to ask her to marry me."

"Oh, you do?" Gia smirked. She crossed her arms over her chest. "Please, tell me more."

"I love her."

"Yeah."

"I'll do anything for her."

"Okay."

"And I can't imagine my life without her. So… uh… do I have your blessing?"

Gia glared at him for a moment, making him feel very uncomfortable while she pretended to think about it. Jordan bit his lip and watched her while he nervously waited for his answer. He knew she was going to make him beg.

"Yes."

"Please don't hurt me!" Jordan cried and dropped to his knees. He covered his head. "I'll be a good husband. I'll take care of her I… I… wait."

He looked up, "What?"

"You make her happy, you both obviously love each other. I wouldn't say you should get married right now, but if this is what you both want to do, I'm happy for you."

"Seriously?" Jordan asked. Emma had a better approach. She threw her arms around her best friend and wore a great, big, wide grin across her face. Gia hugged her quickly and then pushed her away and took her hand. She looked at the ring, "Well, he's no cheapskate."

"I can't wait to tell you all about it!" Emma smiled and bounced on the spot. "I won't spare a single detail, I promise."

Gia nodded her head, forced a smile for her best friend and then let her go.

"Why don't you all head back. I'll be right behind you. I just want another minute alone."

"You sure?"

Gia nodded again and took her morpher out of her pocket, "I've got this. I'll call if there's any trouble."

"Okay," Emma said and took Jordan's hand as she started to walk back. The others all followed but Jake. He hung back for a moment with Gia. He put his hand on her shoulder.

"Hey," he whispered to her, "Are you sure everything's okay?"

"We lost."

"We'll get him next time," Jake told her. "Those new powers you have are pretty damn awesome. Once we all have them, I'm sure Vrak won't stay a chance."

"Yeah, maybe," Gia sighed, "Still, can I just have a minute?"

"Keep your morpher on you," Jake said. He kissed the side of her head and then followed the others back. Gia watched him go and waited for him to disappear beyond the trees before turned around. She walked to the edge and looked down at the drop. If she just took one more step she could end it all.

She raised her foot. She had made up her mind. Tears came to her eyes as she thought about what would happen when her friends eventually found out. She knew they would understand. They would have to.

She let herself fall forward but, out of nowhere, something snatched her up. She was knocked backwards, back to solid ground. When she looked up, she saw a huge spaceship, even bigger than the one that had taken her last time, hovering in front of her. She also saw X-Borgs had her surrounded, and they had been the things that stopped her fall.

Suddenly, an alien stepped out of the ship. He looked nothing like the Messenger, but he did look familiar. Gia tried to call for help with her morpher, but an X-Borg kicked it out of her hand and then stepped on her wrist.

"Begin the invasion!" the alien in command shouted and Gia watched as hundreds of the X-Borgs started to walk into the woods, towards the city. Then, hundreds more came down from the ship.

"You're the Armada," Gia said as she tried to pull her wrist free, but the X-Borg wouldn't lift his foot.

"I am Prince Vekar," the alien announced. He walked to her morpher and picked it up, "Is this what you're going to use to stop my army?" he tossed it aside. "Useless."

"Vekar?"

"Prince! Master to you!" the prince reached for her neck and pulled her up. Gia grabbed his arm as he lightly suffocated her. She still had a little air, but it was tough. It was taking all she had just to breathe.

"Vrak," Gia forced out. "Your name… you look… just like Vrak."

The Prince looked to her curiously. He pulled her in a little closer.

"What do you know of my brother?"

"Brother?"

"He was on this planet," the Prince said. "He attempted to conquer your planet in his name for our empire, but I can see his efforts were wasted. Tell me, where is my brother?"

"I… I don't… know," Gia tried to claw at his hand, hoping he would let her go and she would take the opportunity to run. When he strangled her tighter, a thought struck her. She wanted to die, and this would be the perfect way to go. Her friends wouldn't have to grieve thinking it was suicide. They wouldn't have to blame themselves like she knew they would.

She stopped fighting. The Prince glared at her when she did. He squeezed her neck tightly, to the point where she was just about to pass out, and then dropped her to the ground.

"You want to die," the Prince snapped his fingers. X-Borgs came around her again and grabbed her. They started to drag her towards the ship while the Prince chuckled, "Well, then die you shall… once I learn all I can from you."

"Ultra Sword!"

Prince Vekar heard a shout and as soon as he turned around he was struck down by an enemy. He was helped to his feet by X-Borgs and then looked over to see four of the humans standing in coloured uniform and gold armour, each with a sword in their hands.

"How dare you attack the Prince!" he shouted. "X-Borgs!"

"Really, is that all you've got?" Jake smirked beneath his helmet as he saw a wave of foot soldiers running for him. He learned quickly that they were stronger than Loogies, but they were still hardly a problem in Ultra Mode. He cut his way through them and then occupied himself with destroying the ones that held Gia.

"You okay?" he asked her and picked up her morpher from the ground. He gave it to her, "You dropped this."

"Thanks," Gia whispered. She put it back in her pocket and looked out, seeing the others were already done with their small groups of X-Borgs. Then she looked to the Prince. He looked back at her with disgust and then headed back to his ship.

"The invasion has already started," he announced. "There is nothing you can do to stop it."

As he boarded his ship he turned around and faced the Rangers, "Surrender now, or you will not be spared."

Then he pointed to Gia, "Except you. Until you choose to tell me what I want to hear, you will live a long and miserable life."

With that, the door to his spaceship closed and in a flash it was gone. The Rangers powered down and looked up in the sky before they turned to Gia.

"What's going on?"

"You didn't just piss another alien off, did you?" Jake groaned. Before any answers could be given, a blast came down from the sky and nearly hit the Rangers. They were knocked off their feet, but they were unharmed. As they tried to pick themselves up, another blast came down.

"Run!" Troy shouted as the blasts started to rain down. They were going to have to warn Rebecca, Jordan, and Dr. Oliver of danger and then teleport to the command center where they were sure to be safe until they could figure out how to handle the new threats. It seemed they had come much faster than expected.

As Gia ran, pulled along lightly by Jake, she looked over her shoulder at the ledge. It was going to have to wait.


	10. Fallen Down

Despite the threat of being blown to pieces with every step, the Rangers made it to Dr. Oliver's home safely. They gathered up their friends and then teleported to the command center. After making sure everyone was accounted for, Troy walked up to his console and looked at the destruction the Armada was already causing to the city. People were being terrorized by the X-Borgs, ships were blasting lasers and blowing up homes and buildings, and the Prince's large ship was looming over the city, watching and enjoying the sight.

"This isn't good," he said.

"Rangers!" Gosei voice boomed and it brought hope. They all turned to him, seeing his eyes were lit up for the first time in months. Tensou grew the most excited as he started rolling around the command center.

"Gosei! Gosei! You're back! Oh, it's so good to see you!"

"Settle down, Tensou. I know my absence was felt, but I needed to take time to recover my strength."

"Gosei, do you know what's going on out there?" Noah asked and looked down at his console. "The Armada…"

"I have seen," Gosei interrupted Noah. "I know what's coming. The world has never seen an invasion of this proportion. It seems the aliens we've faced in this last year were just the tip of the iceberg. A new threat, a more dangerous and powerful threat is coming."

"They're already here," Emma said. She turned to Tensou, "No would be a really good time for those new powers to be ready."

"Full scale, too," Jake added. "I mean, Gia's powers were pretty awesome, but it's gonna take all we've got to send these guys back to where they came from."

"Indeed," Gosei nodded and suddenly a new morpher appeared in front of Troy, Jake, Emma, and Noah. The four of them reached out and took it proudly; glad to have a new upgrade. As much as they loved being Megaforce Rangers, it was already clear they were going to need something new and something better for their next battle. "These are your new morphers. With these, and the keys that line our walls, you will be able to access your new Super Megaforce Mode."

The four Rangers each saw a new key appear in their hands, matching the design that Gia had already used with her morpher. They all looked to it happily except for Jake, who noticed a big difference with his.

He looked to the others and noticed he was the only one with the wrong colour. He wanted to say something, but Gosei beat him to the punch.

"The figures that line the command are the keys to unlocking extraordinary new powers," he said. "By using them in your new morphers, you will gain access to your Legendary Mode, where you can tap into the special powers of all the Rangers that preceded you.

"However, it will challenge your strength every time you morph into a Legendary Power Ranger."

"Okay, yeah, that's great," Jake said and held up his new key, "I mean, I guess I'm looking forward to being every single Ranger that ever existed but… Explain the colour change, please?"

"Oh…" Tensou backed away nervously and hid behind a console. Gosei was silent for a moment. Jake waved his key in the air, "Uh, hello! I'm the black Ranger. What's with the green?"

"Tensou?" Gosei beckoned the little robot. "Pirate themes and a colour swap?"

"You banned the animal themed costumes last time!" Tensou said. "This time, I wanted pirates. And I like green better than black!"

Tensou then shied away from Gosei's statue, "Uh… I mean… I hope you don't mind."

"I think green's a good colour," Emma smiled at Tensou and then she nudged Jake, "I guess I won't be the only one going green."

"Ha-ha," Jake muttered. It was then he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned around and saw Dr. Oliver glaring at him, and the older man had his arms crossed over his chest.

"And what's wrong with green?"

"I…"

"You know, I was the green Ranger, once."

"Well, yeah, but…"

"I had a good time as green, too."

"That's great but…"

"And, you know, it's up to me whether or not I deem you're ready to graduate high school this year. I don't care if you're pirates now or now, I still expect some homework to be done until the end of June."

"In other words," Noah leaned in to whisper to Jake, "If you don't shut up, he'll fail you."

"Green's cool," Jake smiled and tucked his key away. "I guess it'll grow on me."

Suddenly, the command center shook. Tensou, as always when there was danger, started to roll around in a panic, nearly bumping into all the Rangers, Dr. Oliver, Rebecca, and Jordan as he did.

"Oh no! They're getting close to the command center! We're in trouble now!"

"Rangers, go!" Gosei commanded them and the five jumped up to leave. "Gia…"

"What…" Gia groaned as she turned around, and the others stopped just by the door.

"Stay."

"Sit?" Gia asked and rolled her eyes. "Tell me what you want, Gosei. I'm not some fucking dog you can bark commands at."

"Sitting would be appreciated," Gosei said. Gia furrowed her brows and pointed to the door.

"I get that big head of your doesn't have ears, but can't you hear the city blowing up?"

"Sit," Gosei commanded. "The rest of you, go! Protect the citizens!"

"Come on, guys," Troy said. "We can't wait around."

As they took off, Gia walked over to Gosei. She wanted to chew him out for keeping her back when it was clear her friends and the city needed all the help they could get when two lasers suddenly shot from his eyes and hit her in the chest. It wasn't enough to burn, and hurt no more than a good shove to the floor, but it was unexpected. After Gia hit the ground, she looked up to her Mentor with shock and pain.

"You… you…"

"Tensou, escort the others to the other room. Help them set up a place to sleep."

"Oh… uh… okay. Follow me," Tensou said and led the other three out. Rebecca, on her ways, glanced over her shoulder nervously. She could feel it. Something was up.

Gia got to her feet, waited for the door to close and then turned to Gosei.

"What the hell?"

"I know what you were about to do on that cliff!" Gosei yelled at her.

"I'm still here, aren't I?"

"You didn't get the opportunity," Gosei answered her sternly. "If you do not feel you are capable of handling such powers…"

"Maybe I'm not!" Gia shouted. "Has that ever occurred to you, Gosei? I have no idea what compelled you to pick me as your yellow Ranger, but maybe I was the wrong choice."

"You are my first and only choice to be the yellow Ranger, and will continue to be no matter how much you protest. You have been crucial to many of our successes, and with the invasion growing stronger; we will need your strength and courage…"

"What strength?" Gia asked. "What courage? Did you not see how I completely flopped in that last battle with Vrak? Have you not been watching as I make stupid decisions left and right that put myself and my teammates in danger? Have you not seen Vrak wipe the floor with me at every turn? I'm not cut out for this! I'm not meant to be some big hero!"

"You're my hero," Gia heard Rebecca say behind her and turned around to see the youngest has snuck out from the side room. Gia sighed loudly and shook her head.

"Rebecca…"

"You are! You and Troy, both! There's a reason I collect just your action figures."

"You don't know what I'm talking about, Rebecca…"

"What was Gosei talking about with the cliff?" Rebecca asked. "What did you really want to do out there?"

"Nothing."

"Were you going to jump?"

Gia let out a heavy sigh and shook her head, but Rebecca couldn't be fooled. Her eyes started to water, though she tried not to let Gia see. She wiped them with her sleeve.

"You wanted to jump, didn't you? You're giving up because Jake said Vrak's still alive. You don't think you can beat him."

"Why does everything think I can?" Gia asked. "I've never done it before."

"But he's never beaten you."

"Look at me!" Gia shouted and pointed to her numerous injuries from their recent battle. "Does this look like someone who's never been beaten to you?"

"I looked like you fell down," Rebecca sniffed. She had to wipe her eyes and her nose again. "It's okay to fall down. I like you because you do fall down."

"Rebecca…"

"Heroes are people who are met with adversity. Who fight, even when they think they're going to lose, because it's the right thing. And they fall down! They're always falling down, but it doesn't matter, because they find a way to get back up again!"

Rebecca ran over to Gia and jumped into her arms. She hugged her tight, "You just fell down. It's okay."

"I'm not meant to win," Gia shook her head and refused to put her arms around Rebecca. "I can feel it. I'm not going to win."

"Not with that attitude…"

"Don't joke, Rebecca…"

"I'm not! The first step to winning, to getting back on top again, is believing in yourself. You have to believe you deserve better than what you have and you have to be willing to fight to the very end for it. You taught me that."

"I…"

"You're the best, most heroic person I know," Rebecca said. "You're the reason I started believing in myself. You're the reason I'm doing better than ever now."

"Troy…"

"He helped," Rebecca said, "But Troy never would have been able to do it on his own. Sure, he's had some hard times, but he's… he's never been down like you have. He's been bullies, but never abused. He's been humiliated, but never raped. He's been knocked down, but never… You've fallen farther, Gia. And I always think, that if Gia can stand up again… why can't I?"

"Maybe I can't do it this time, Becca…"

"You're not even trying."

"I…"

"And you're not alone. I'll help you. I'll pull you up if I have to. Please, please, just don't give up!"

"Rebecca…"

"Please?" Rebecca looked up at Gia with big, pleading eyes. Gia sighed deeply and then nodded her head. She looked down at her morpher, then up again at Rebecca.

"I need help."

Rebecca threw her arms around the yellow Ranger and hugged her tightly, "You don't have to handle this alone. I promise, we'll get you all the help you'll need. You'll feel better."

Gia nodded her head. She hugged the younger girl and then pushed her away.

"Can you call Serena?" she put her cell phone in Rebecca's hand. "She'll know what to do. Make sure her family's okay too. The attacks seem to be concentrated on Harwood, but just to be safe."

"Aye, aye, captain," Rebecca nodded her head and smiled. "I'll do everything. Just take care of those robo-Loogies."

Gia smiled, kissed the top of Rebecca' s head, and then rushed out of the command center in the hopes she wasn't too late. Rebecca blushed and then turned to Gosei. She smirked.

"So, I made friends with Gia Moran," she shrugged her shoulders casually. "You know, no big deal. I mean, she doesn't open up like this to everyone. Actually, you can count on one hand the number of people she does trust. I'm one of them. But, you know, it's cool."

"Rebecca…"

"You're so jealous right now, aren't you, Gosei?"

"You have an important call to make."

"I know, I know," Rebecca rolled her eyes. "Sheesh, she's my friend. I think I know when there's something she wants me to do."


	11. New Teams New Powers New Problems

When Gia arrived to the main battle field, she saw her friends were all facing off against the army of X-Borgs that were threatening the city, while one of the aliens watched on. The other Rangers were faring quite well with their new weapons and were getting used to their powers. Gia herself had struggled slightly when she wore her new uniform in the previous battle, but fortunately the suit was programmed to help her out. She had been able to adapt quickly, and it seemed the same for her friends.

She noticed some X-Borgs had spotted her and were headed in her direction. She grabbed her blaster and started to shoot them down while also running towards them, cutting at any in her reach. She loved her Tiger Claw, and would miss using it, but had to love the small size of her new weapons. It meant she had both long range and short range covered, and could take out more aliens at once because she could hold one in each hand.

"Guys! I need more fire power!" Jake suddenly cried from on top of a building and Gia watched as Noah threw him his blaster in exchange for Jake's sword. Jake was now blasting down the X-Borgs threatening to take him out, and then he was going after any others he could shoot down.

Noah, meanwhile, had two swords in his hands, and after so long of using the Shark Bowgun, he wasn't used to any close range weapons. He had a little experience with the Ultra Swords, but his new swords were shorter still. Gia saw he needed a hand and blasted down a couple of X-Borgs that were coming up behind him. Noah turned around at the sound of something exploding and saw the soldiers falling. He then turned to Gia.

"Hey! You made it!"

"Not a moment too soon, I see," she nodded her head and then had another look around, "So, how many of these are there?"

"Just enough," Troy stated. He finished off the X-Borgs surrounding him and now there was only one group left. They were coming from down the street, and he assumed that once he and the other Rangers made their appearance, the Warstar had redirected their foot soldiers to attack them. It made the battle a little easier now that they wouldn't have to run all around town.

Troy turned to his friends with a smirk, "I think it's time we kick it up a notch. Gosei said we could use the Powers of any previous team. Let's see what the Samurai Rangers are really made of. Legendary Ranger Mode! Samurai!"

Troy pulled out the red Samurai Ranger key from his belt buckle and locked it into his morpher. He felt a wave of power course through him and suddenly was morphed in Jayden's costume. He took just a minute to admire himself and his teammates, who had all morphed into their respective colours on the Samurai team.

Troy led the Rangers into a battle, striking down as many of the X-Borgs as they could in the short amount of time they had before he felt his powers draining. He looked to his teammates and they all nodded. At once, they summoned the power of the Mystic Rangers.

Almost as soon as they were morphed, they used their weapons to summon a powerful blast, combining the elements of fire, wind, water, lightning, and earth. The blast was so strong that it finished off all the remaining X-Borgs at once.

"Holy, this is amazing!" Jake cried and looked down at his suit in excitement. "Though, the green is getting a little old. Can we morph into something with black, again?"

With no X-Borgs to hide behind, the leading alien stepped up to face the Rangers. He stood before them and seemed to roll his eyes.

"It doesn't matter who you are. This ends now! Earthlings will fall!"

He fired his blaster at the Rangers and they were hit with several little explosions. At the same time, their suits were losing power and they were losing energy. The longer they stayed in one suit, the more they found it drained them. Feeling their Mystic Powers fading, they knew they had to switch it up. They reached to their belts once again, and as the smoke cleared, they emerged to fight the alien as the SPD Rangers.

"Still not seeing any black!" Jake called out. "Come on, guys, can we do a different colour combination. I miss myself!"

With blasters in hand, the Rangers fired as many blasts as they could at the alien, sending him backwards for as long as they had their new powers. When it started to wear on them, the blasts stopped. Enraged, the alien charged for them. They pulled out a new set of keys.

"Ninja Storm! Shadow Battle!"

With new found agility and obscure attacks, the Rangers struck at the alien rapidly, taking him down with several shots before he knew what had happened to him. By the time they felt their powers draining again, the monster was off his feet.

"Crimson was not the colour I had in mind, guys," Jake called out and reached to his belt again, hoping to see a black key. Instead he saw the Red Overdrive one. "Aw, man."

"We can all be red?" Gia asked as she looked at her Mystic Force Red key.

"Now you guys get to see what it's like," Troy smirked as he morphed back into the Red Samurai Rangers. Noah morphed into Red Wild Force, and Emma found herself with the Red Jungle Fury team.

All at once, they unleashed a barrage of various attacks from their respective suits and the alien couldn't find a moment to counter or block. He was once against swept from his feet and he hit the ground hard, groaning loudly as he did. To finish him off for good, and because they were running out of steam for real, the Rangers morphed back into their newest costumes and fired off a final attack.

"Final Strike!" they called out and the monster was blown to pieces before their eyes.

-Megaforce-

After clearing the city of aliens, and getting a chance to play with their new Zords and Megazords, the Rangers returned to the base completely exhausted, but excited none the less. Noah was giddy from having used so many powers, and was talking Troy's ear off about learning as much as he could about former teams to get the most out of using their powers and weapons. Jake was muttered about how he wished they had called upon a team with a black Ranger so he could have a proper goodbye to his beloved colour.

Emma skipped into the base and when she saw Jordan waiting for her, safe and sound, she hurried into his arms. He congratulated her for a job well done and saw it was exciting to watch her fight.

Gia returned to the base and saw Rebecca looking to her worriedly. She noticed no one else seemed to be focused on her and assumed Rebecca hadn't said anything. She gave the younger girl a little smile to let her know everything was okay and then walked to the bench Tensou had set up by the wall to rest. She picked up the yellow water bottle that had been left for her and was about to take a long drink when she heard footsteps echoing in the entrance. The louder they got, the more the others seemed to quiet down.

"Man, can't we just get five minutes?" Jake groaned and reached for his morpher. Seconds later, Serena stepped into the room. She looked around and clapped her hands.

"Way to rep the Samurai," she said. "I was a little offended no one went with white, but I guess it's hard to live up to such talent."

"Serena?" Troy asked and looked around. He had no idea she was coming and wanted to see if maybe someone else knew. He got blank faces but everyone except for Rebecca, who was biting her lip, and Gia, whose eyes started to water. Before Troy could ask anything, though, Serena looked to Gia and smiled softly.

"Hey, kid. What can I do?"

Gia shrugged and wiped her eyes. Troy, and everyone, knew something was up now. Gosei had asked her to stay back for the beginning of the battle and now suddenly Serena was not just in town, but in town to visit Gia specifically it seemed.

"What's going on?" Emma asked. She walked up to Gia and put her hand on the yellow Ranger's shoulder. Gia shrugged it off.

"Can we talk later?"

"I…" Emma glanced to Serena and then sighed and nodded her head. Though she loved that Serena always gave Gia an outlet to talk, she hated not knowing what was going on with her best friend. She hated having to wait, and the worried feeling that grew inside her stomach as she did. But she knew it was best for Gia and nodded her head. "Yeah, sure."

Serena walked over to Gia and sat beside her on the bench. She put her arms around the younger girl, "Seriously, what do you need?"

"I slipped," Gia muttered.

"Slipped? How?"

Gia quickly glanced to Rebecca and then turned to whisper in Serena's ear. The white Ranger's eyes widened when she heard it and then she looked to Gia, heartbroken. She hugged her tight.

"We'll talk. Come on. Let me… let's go somewhere a little less ruined. Panorama was untouched…"

"Panorama?" Jake asked. He looked to Gia, "What's going on? How long are you going to be gone?"

"I won't take her long," Serena promised. She stood up and kept her arms around Gia and she escorted her out.

There was a deathly silence as the yellow and white Rangers left. Then the Rangers all turned to Gosei, but his eyes were dark, meaning he was gone, and the Rangers were left wondering what had happened, who had made the call to Serena, and who knew Gia needed help, if not Gia herself.

"Wait a minute…" Jordan turned to Rebecca, "You weren't there to help make the beds."

"I… yes I was," Rebecca looked down at her shoes. "I was right there. I… I put the…"

"What colours were the sheets?"

"Ranger coloured."

"Wrong, they were white," Jordan crossed his arms over his chest. Suddenly, the spotlight was on the young girl. Rebecca started to back away, but in the cave there was nowhere to go.

"What's going on?" Jake asked and tried to look his step-sister in the eye, but Rebecca suddenly found the ceiling to be interesting. She looked up and wouldn't bring her gaze back down, even when Jake grabbed her head.

"It's not my place to tell," she answered.

"Rebecca…"

"It's not," Rebecca shook her head. "You can't make me. I won't betray a friend."

"Just… do we need to worry?" Emma asked. Rebecca didn't know how to answer. On the one hand, she had convinced Gia to seek out help, which meant Gia had regretted her decision to try and kill herself. On the other hand, it was a lot more complicated than just changing her mind.

Rebecca's pause was all the Rangers needed to know. Something was terribly wrong.


	12. Yellow vs Yellow

Gia stepped out of Serena's car and on to the Shiba House property. She had been to the house once before when she had run away from home and bumped into Ally, but she hadn't needed to return since. It was a bit of a weird feeling being at the Shiba House again given the last time she had seen it, suicide had been just a fleeting, but present thought.

This time it was real. Though Gia had asked for and desperately wanted help, the longer she waited, the more she wondered why she was still alive and what she had to live for.

"Why are we here?" Gia asked. "We're not going to meditate or beat up dummies, are we?"

"Lauren and Ally offered to let us have the place while they're baby hunting," Serena smirked. Gia turned her head.

"What?"

"Ally wants a baby, Lauren's happy to start a family, so… yeah," Serena said. "They're kind of… looking around. Personally, I don't ask too many questions about how my nieces or nephews arrive; I just smother them with love when they do."

"Lauren and Ally want to start a family?" Gia asked.

Serena nodded. She unlocked the door with her key and then invited Gia inside. The yellow Ranger stepped into the big house, then she followed Serena to the common room. Serena reached for the bookshelf.

"Before we start talking," she said, "Can I show you something?"

"I… guess," Gia nodded her head. Serena picked up a book and set it down on the table. Gia grabbed a stool and sat down to flip through it with a sigh, "I know I'm… smart, but I can't just read Japanese."

"I'll read it for you," Serena said. "As you know, the Samurai fought the Nighlok for centuries. It was crucial in the ongoing war that we record everything that happens, everything we've learned about the Nighlok for future generations. Now, even though the Nighlok are gone, we still keep track of everything. The books you see around you are history books, from the very first Samurai Ranger right down to Sammie and Jessie."

"The babies?"

"We keep everything," Serena said. "And every Samurai has a book. Every Samurai has a story. This is Lauren's. Normally, we translate everything into English because we are in America now, but Lauren couldn't bring herself to go over these memories again. They were all too painful."

Serena looked up at Gia with a smile, "The whole time I'm reading this to you, I want you to keep in mind that now, Lauren's got great friends, an amazing new set of surrogate parents, a beautiful wife, and she's ready, no, excited, to start a family of her own one day."

"Okay."

Serena nodded and pointed to the first page, "We start the day Lauren was told about her responsibilities as the future head of the Shiba Family…"

-Megaforce-

Although the Rangers had a tremendous victory under their belts, Emma couldn't sleep. It wasn't the thought of the coming invasion. She was more than ready to kick butt. She wanted to show the aliens that Earth was one planet they couldn't claim, and they were making their biggest mistake by trying.

She was worried for her best friend, and was wide awake trying to figure out what was going on with her. Emma liked to think she knew Gia the best. She liked to think there was nothing Gia could hide from her. Unfortunately, that was being tested today. Though Emma had seen a broken look on the yellow Ranger's face, no matter how hard she thought, she couldn't think of what had happened to hurt her. She couldn't figure it out and it scared her.

She had long since accepted the fact that she wasn't always going to be the one Gia needed for help or advice or just to talk. She didn't like knowing there were parts of Gia's life that she wasn't the first to know about, but she knew it was a good thing. It meant, finally, Gia was branching out, and opening herself up to new people and experiences.

What she wouldn't, and didn't accept, was not always been open for Gia to come to her. She wanted Gia to know and feel that if there was ever a problem, she would be there to help her. No matter what it was, no matter the time of day, Emma would be there.

Seeing Gia walk out of the command center and having absolutely no idea what it was about made Emma feel like she had let her best friend down. She couldn't stand it. She couldn't stomach the thought.

"Em, get some sleep," Jordan whispered as he rolled over in bed and looked up at her. Emma sighed. She pulled her knees to her chest.

"I can't."

"She's in good hands with Serena. You know she'll be okay."

Emma shook her head. Jordan decided he wasn't going to be able to talk her down. He sat up and wrapped his arms around her. Right from the start he knew the bond that Gia and Emma shared was deep. He hadn't been ready for the exact depth of it, but it was a part of Emma that he had learned not just to accept, but love. Emma had grown up with Gia. They were as close as sisters, but only because there was really no other word to describe what they meant to each other. Each had their own struggles, and the other was always there to help. Emma never had a story or a memory that didn't mention Gia at least a couple of dozen times.

So if there was something wrong with Gia, Emma was always strongly affected by it. And knowing there was nothing she could do to help was killing her.

As he held her, there was a gentle knock on the door. It opened and Jake slowly stepped inside, but seeing Emma and Jordan were both up, he shut the door and walked in.

"Anything?" he asked. Emma shook her head.

"She probably won't call or text while she's gone," she whispered.

"She promised to tell us what was going on when she got back," Jake said, "But I don't think I can wait that long. I'm getting sick just wondering what it could be. Serena never comes for good news and with Vrak still on the loose…"

"You guys are going to drive yourselves crazy trying to figure this out," Jordan looked to both of them. "Serena's never let us down before. More importantly, she's never let Gia down. Whatever it is, I'm sure she can handle it."

"We're not worrying for nothing…"

"I never said that," Jordan shook his head and offered a reassuring smile to Jake. "Obviously it's something, but it's something that's being taken care of."

"I can't sleep," Emma said. "Not until she's home. Not until I know she's okay."

Jordan sighed. He rubbed his face with his hands and then climbed out of bed. "I'll get the coffee started…"

-Megaforce-

"… The city, and many parts of the world were flooded with Sanzu Water. It seemed like the end for the Samurai Rangers and the Earth. The Nighlok were confident they were going to win, and with Lauren Shiba's failure with the Sealing Symbol, there was no hope left for the Rangers."

Serena closed the book. Gia still couldn't read Japanese, but she had noticed enough of a pattern to know Serena hadn't finished reading. She looked up at the Samurai curiously.

"Wait, what?"

"Well, you know what happens," Serena shrugged her shoulders. "I mean, we're here."

"Yeah but… what the hell was I supposed to take away from that?"

"No hope," Serena said. "Isn't that how you feel right now?"

"I…"

"Why did you want to step off that ledge?" Serena asked. "After all you and I have worked through, after everything your friends and family have done, why even consider giving up?"

Gia lowered her head in shame as her eyes started to water. Serena put her arm around her.

"I'm not trying to make you feel bad," she said. "You feel this way for a reason. I want to know why."

"I can't beat him," Gia shook her head. "I can't beat Vrak, there's a new invasion coming… I just… I don't feel like I'm meant to be winning. Between my dad's murder, mom's train crash, Vrak always getting the better of me…"

"The Samurai were at war with the Nighlok for centuries," Serena said. "I mean, say what you want about the red guys, or even the Shiba family, but you've got to admit, even in the darkest of times, they never gave up."

"I…"

"We pushed," Serena said. "We pushed, and pushed, and pushed to defeat the Nighlok. We gave it everything we had, even when we had nothing left to give. Many of our ancestors died on the battle field. Lauren and Jayden's father knowingly put all he had into the Sealing Symbol just to give his children a chance."

"You're telling me about a suicide to stop me from trying to kill myself?"

"I'm telling you how tough our battles got," Serena said. "Dayu left me paralyzed for a couple of months. Many of us are still complaining about old injuries. Mia can't have kids because of how badly she was hurt in the final battle, and if you know anything about Mia, you know that was enough for her to stop living."

Serena held Gia's arms and looked the younger girl in the eye, "We all felt the way you do now. At one time, for all of us, this war felt hopeless. Now look at us. We're Nighlok free, we're all raising or thinking of starting beautiful families. My biggest worry right now is you, and I'm really hoping that once we're done talking, I'm not going to have much to worry about."

Gia shook her head, "This feels… different."

"How?"

"I feel… I just, I know it," Gia sighed. She looked down at her hands, which were fidgeting as a sign that she was using all her willpower to hold back her tears. "I used to have that hope you're talking about. Even… even when I thought my life was shit, there was always this little bit of hope deep down inside me that something would happen and my life would turn around. Even if I didn't always believe in it, it was there."

"What happened to it?"

"It's gone," Gia said. "When Vrak came back… I gave him everything I had. I put all my strength, all my powers, all of me into that attack and he came out the winner. I don't know how I'm still alive now, but I know I shouldn't be."

Gia looked up at Serena, "Next time he and I meet, I know he's going to kill me. After everything he's put me through, I don't want him to have that satisfaction. He'll still win if I kill myself, but at least he won't get the glory of doing it himself."

"You're scared?"

"No, I know what's going to happen. I…"

"You're scared," Serena said. "You're scared the worst is going to happen."

"I know it's going to happen!"

"No one knows what's going to happen. No one knew when we would beat the Nighlok, or if we ever would. But we gave every battle everything we had because we knew that was the only way we would have a chance," Serena grabbed Gia's arms again and looked her dead in the eye. "Nothing in life is a guarantee. Just like it's not guaranteed you can beat Vrak, it's also not set in stone that you're going to lose."

"But…"

"You're handing him his victory, this planet, and all your friends and family if you take that step off the cliff," Serena said. "Without you, this world is going to crumble. You're the only thing standing in Vrak's way. You're the only thing standing between the invasions … well, invading!"

"No pressure…"

"That's all the pressure in the world! It's literally all on your shoulder's Gia. Forget the your Rangers. Forget all the other Rangers, this war is up to you."

"It's not…"

"Every life matters," Serena stood up and walked to the bookshelf. This time, instead of grabbing a book, she took a box from the shelf and opened it. Gia watched her take out her Samuraizer.

"What are you doing?"

"Addressing the real issue here," Serena said. She traced a Symbol and let it hang in the air while she explained to Gia. "You're scared. That's normal. You're worried you're not going to be good enough to win. You're scared you're going to let yourself down. Do you see a pattern here?"

"You're not going to hit me with another Symbol, are you?"

"You're your own worst enemy, Gia. You always have been," Serena smirked. "You're more like me every time we meet. That might be a bad thing, now that I think about it."

"Vrak is my worst enemy."

"Vrak's your opponent. Vrak's just some alien. He's not the one doing this to you. He's not the one planting thoughts of suicide in that annoyingly stubborn head of yours. You are. You're the one beating yourself up. You're the one who's got yourself convinced you're not up to the challenge."

"So?"

"You wanted to kill yourself?" Serena spun her Symbol and Gia watched as, right before her eyes, a mirror image of herself appeared, "Have at it."

Before Gia could question Serena's logic, the mirror image morphed into Megaforce Yellow and attacked. Gia was instantly on the defensive.


	13. A Fire

Gia's back and head smashed into the wall as her mirror image fought her aggressively, taking as many opportunities as she could to pummel the real her into the ground. Gia couldn't quite understand this exercise. She had just confessed to Serena that she had tried to kill herself by jumping off the cliffside in the forest, and now Serena was making her fight for her life.

A huge part of Gia didn't want to win. She wanted to fail this exercise; to let her clone beat her up so bad she couldn't survive. She wanted this blow to the head, and every other blow, to be the decisive one.

Suddenly, the attacks stopped. Gia was on the ground and looked up at her mirror image disappeared. Serena stood over her, shaking her head.

"You didn't even try."

Gia wiped the blood from her nose and lip as she sat up. Her head was pounding and her muscles ached. She just wanted it all to stop.

"Why would I try?"

"Because you don't actually to die," Serena said. She offered Gia a towel – a red one. Any other colour would stain. Gia sighed.

"It's just easier."

"For who?" Serena asked. She sat down next to the yellow Ranger and sighed. "I guess it's easier for you. Easier for Vrak, too. He doesn't even have to do anything…"

"He's not going to get the chance to kill me."

"Does he really care?" Serena asked. "I'm sure he'd love the glory, but he doesn't give a damn how you die, just that you're out of his way. And the Armada, they don't even know you, yet."

"Prince Vekar is Vrak's brother," Gia stated. "He doesn't want me to die."

"Well, for once, I agree with the evil guy," Serena shook her head. "Gia, I'm sure you've heard this a million times, but the easy road isn't the one worth taking."

"But I can't beat him!" Gia clenched her fists and smashed the floor. "I literally gave that fight my all. I nearly killed myself just to see him gone, and he fucking walks away!"

"Gia…"

"I've tried, and I've tried! I've done everything! I've tried senselessly going after him, I've tried restraint. I've tried going in alone. I've attacked him with my team! I can't do it! Nothing works!"

"Gia," Serena grabbed her arms and spun her slightly so she was looking her in the eyes, "Mountain Boarding."

"What?"

"You ride?"

"Yeah."

"Are you any good?"

"I'm getting better."

"Were you always good?"

"I fell."

"How much."

"A lot."

"What did you do?"

"I… I tried again," Gia answered and then shook her head. "Serena, that's just a sport. This is…"

"This is no different," Serena answered. "This is a competition. A battle of wills. The stakes are much higher, but the rules are the same. You don't win by getting the fastest time, the most points, or the most kills. You win by not losing, and you lose when you give up on yourself. The only person who can ever make you feel like a loser is yourself."

Serena stood up and then pulled Gia up to her feet, "I know it's hard. I know you feel like you've tried everything. But you can't give up. You have a whole world counting on you."

"Yeah, but what if I can't do it?"

"You have friends who want the best for you, and are willing to help you every step of the way. Troy, Noah, Jordan and Rebecca… Doesn't their support mean anything? Can't you see how much it'll hurt them to see you quit on yourself? They believe in you. They know that if you just get back up, one more time, you can do it. Are they wrong?"

"I don't know."

"What about your mother? Or Mrs. Goodall?" Serena asked. "Both of them want to give you the world. They're making sacrifices every day so you can have this amazing life. Now, just because times are hard, you want to throw that all away? Those years your mother spent doing everything for you? The sleepless nights, the tears, the grey hairs, the heartbreak… is there no value to that?"

"Don't talk about mom…"

"Fine, what about Emma?" Serena could see she was breaking through Gia. She just hoped it was in the best way. Tears were coming down the younger girl's face, but Serena wasn't going to give up. It was clear this needed to be a permanent fix. If she couldn't get Gia to re-evaluate her decision and her goals for herself as a person and as a Ranger, Serena wouldn't be able to sleep at night from worry. She wanted Gia to have a second chance and the embrace her life. She wanted the current yellow Ranger to face her coming challenges with confidence, and to rise up even when her opponents knocked her down. Being a Ranger was a dangerous job and the only thing that could keep her alive was her spirit. If Gia wanted it enough, she would come out of this war with her life and a victory over the invasion.

But she had to want it. Serena needed to rekindle that flame, and she was going to use everything she had to get the fire burning inside her again.

"Don't," Gia shook her head but Serena pressed on.

"Emma, you remember your best friend? Probably the one person on this planet who's been there for you right from the start? Who's gone above and beyond in everything just for you?"

"Stop it…"

"She's saved your life countless times, in many different ways, and not without pain or sacrifice to herself. You just want to throw that all away?"

Gia shook her head and placed her hands over her ears. Serena pulled them away.

"Or Jake?"

"No…"

"Of all the girls; the easy ones, the pretty ones, the simple ones, he chose you. He'll do anything for you. He'll fight, with everything he has for you. He'll move mountains for you. He'll protect you from anything. You want to pretend like none of that means anything?"

Gia closed her eyes. Serena pulled her in closer.

"What about your dad?"

"Stop it!" Gia screamed and her knees buckled. She collapsed on the floor. Serena knelt over her.

"He sacrificed his life for you. He's always supported you, always loved you, always wanted everything for his little girl. He's dead now, and the only thing that can make his death count is you giving this your all. You want to ignore that?"

"Shut up!"

"No!" Serena shouted back. "You're doing to disappoint all the people who love and believe in you because you think killing yourself is the easiest thing you can do?"

"I don't want Vrak to win…"

"Dying isn't going to do anything to stop him. In fact, it's going to be easier. While your friends are worried over you or mourning you, Vrak, or the invasion, is going to swoop right in and take them out. They aren't going to stand a chance!"

Serena let go of Gia and rose to her feet. She recreated the mirror image.

"The biggest enemy here is you," Serena said. "And if you let yourself fall, if you lose, you're only going to hurt the people you care about most."

Serena pulled Gia up to her feet, "I'm not going to help you. I can't make you want to live. This isn't a Symbol trick. This isn't an exercise. There are no redoes. She is trying to kill you. What do you want me to tell your friends tomorrow when they come to take your dead body home? Is there anything I can say to them that'll take away this pain?"

Gia looked down at the floor. Serena held her face and forced her to look up.

"You've already seen the future without you. You've seen what your death will do to your friends. I promise you, nothing of that future is going to change. Is that really want you want for them?"

Gia shook her head.

"Is that what you want for yourself?" Serena asked her. "Do you really want to be taken out the easy way? Gia Moran, Miss Perfect, the fierce and powerful tiger… just a yellow-bellied coward?"

Gia shook her head again. Serena smiled and kissed her forehead.

"All your feelings of hate, anger, and fear are trapped inside this mirror. You've got to destroy them before she destroys you. That is, if you want to live."

Serena stepped aside and in an instant the mirror image lunged for Gia. At first, she was thrown back into the wall but then she felt something burning inside of her. She didn't want to go down this way. She didn't want to be remembered for giving up. She wasn't a quitter, especially when times were rough. If she was going to die, she wanted it to give the fight her best chance. If she had to die, she wanted to die fighting for something she believed in. She wanted to die fighting for the people she cared about, and for the people who cared for and loved her.

But more than that, she didn't want to die at all. She looked up at the sick smirk on her mirror image's face and could just see Vrak with that same smirk. She could see the Prince's smirk when he found out there was no yellow Ranger to deal with, and one less Ranger to get in his way of taking over the Earth.

And she wanted to see the smiles on her friends' faces, and feel their joy when she returned home and told them she was happy to be alive, and ready to fight alongside them in the greatest war of their lives.

And if she had to die – if there really was no other choice – she wanted it to be for them. She wanted her sacrifice to give them the opportunity they needed to stop the invasion, end the war, and live the rest of their lives peacefully. It was the only thing she could do to help them.

A fire burned deep within her, and grew more and more powerful as she rose to her feet. With her morpher in hand, she transformed into Megaforce, and then Super Megaforce Yellow, and then into the White Samurai Ranger.

Serena's jaw dropped as she watched the fight, as Gia, with her Spin Sword, struck the mirror image with so much power it cut through her without hesitation. Dark smoke rose from the lethal wound until the mirror's body was gone. Gia stood and watched the body disappear and then powered down from white to yellow, and then from Super Megaforce down to Megaforce. Finally, she powered down out of her Ranger suit and dropped to the floor. Serena was just fast enough to catch her and lay her down gently.

"Way to rep the white Samurais," Serena smirked.

Suddenly, there was a loud, angered cry and heavy footsteps echoed through the halls and rooms.

"SERENA!" Lauren stood in the common room doorway looking more angered than Serena had ever seen her. The white Ranger chuckled nervously.

"Hey… you're home early…"

"What the hell did you do to my… is she dead?" Lauren pointed to Gia. Serena looked down at the yellow Ranger, and then up at the destruction Gia's first fight with her mirror image had caused to the room and the hallway. The mirror had no respect for personal belongings.

"I was going to clean this up," Serena said.

"Whoa…" Ally walked in behind Lauren, looking more in awe than angered by the mess. "What happened in here? I didn't think the aliens got to Panorama."

"How was baby searching?" Serena asked.

"It was great!" Ally smiled. "We found an agency and registered ourselves. It could be a while before there's any interest, but…"

"Don't change the subject," Lauren growled to both her wife and cousin. "I said you could borrow the Shiba House! Not tear it apart! And did you forget about the dojo?"

Serena glanced across the hall where the dojo, the room built for battle training, had been left completely untouched by the fight. Serena shrugged her shoulders nervously and then pointed to the book she left out on the table.

"I needed that."

Lauren massaged her temples, then groaned loudly and walked to the kitchen. Serena looked up at Ally, who could only shake her head and shrug her shoulders.

"It's nothing a little… renovation can't fix."

"I promise, I'll pay for it all," Serena said. "Though, I might have to pay you back over time. Teaching doesn't pay as well as it should."

"If you live long enough," Ally chuckled. "Lauren might just kill you when she calms down."

"I can handle her," Serena shrugged casually. "Besides… Lauren and I have a bond."

"Okay," Ally answered and then pointed to Gia, "Uh… should I offer her something…? I… I mean, I've never come home to an unconscious houseguest before… I guess I should have seen this coming at some point."

"Water and painkillers for when she wakes up," Serena answered.

"Can do. Oh, and her parents and friends know she's here this time, right?"

"They know she's with me."

"Was she like this when you took her?"

"I fixed her," Serena smirked. Ally nodded her head slowly and backed out of the room.

"Uh… okay. Um, just for future reference… My doctor says I can't break so even if it looks like I need it, don't fix me."

"Do you have a doctor's note?"

"I… I… uh, What's that, Lauren? We don't have ice? I'm coming!"

Serena chuckled and shook her head as she watched Ally run from the room.

"You have an ice-maker!" she called after her. "There's always ice!"

"It's… uh… broken!" Ally answered from the kitchen.


	14. Dreaded Answers

When Gia opened her eyes, she was blinded by the light. It flooded the room, and made her reach for her blankets and pull them up over her head. The light made her headache hurt even more, and she just wanted to go back to sleep where she wouldn't have to feel the immense pain in her body.

But her headache kept her from sleeping, and after a few minutes she was wide awake. She pushed down the blankets and blinked until she was a little more used to the light. Then she sat up and looked around.

She was in one of the bedrooms of the Shiba House. Finally, her memories of the night before came flooding back to her. She felt shame was over, then relief. She was no longer looking for a way to end her life. She was no longer in that dark, miserable place where all she could think of doing was giving up. She had beaten those thoughts. She was better than that.

A smile crept up on her lips as the door to her bedroom slid open. Serena walked in, carrying a tray with a bottle of pills, a glass of water, and a cup of tea. Serena noticed she was awake and smiled as well.

"Morning, Sunshine."

She set the tray down by the bedside table and handed Gia the water, while she poured a couple of pills in her hand. She offered them to the yellow Ranger, who quickly threw them to the back of her throat and drowned them in water. Serena chuckled.

"I didn't even tell you what those were."

"As long as they beat this headache, I'll take them."

"It was rat poison."

Gia rolled her eyes, "Why would you offer me rat poison?"

"I'm secretly an alien in disguise."

Gia rolled her eyes again. Serena smiled as she offered Gia the tea. "This will help you too. Lauren's secret mix. She swears by it, and given the intensity of her training, I think that's saying something."

Gia nodded her head and took a quick sip of the tea. It was bitter beyond belief, but if Serena said it would help, she was more than willing to finish it. Serena laughed at the face she made.

"Lauren said not to sweeten it. Sorry, kid."

"It's… fine…" Gia lowered the cup and looked up at Serena curiously, "So… last night… am I remembering it right?"

"Depends on what you remember."

"You made me fight myself."

Serena nodded her head, "Oh, that. Yeah. You kicked your butt, though. It was awesome! Got me in a shitload of trouble. By the way, blood is really hard to wash off large fabric surfaces."

"Wait… if I won, why do I feel like this?"

"That's what happens when you don't believe in yourself," Serena smirked. "Don't worry. The bruising isn't that bad, and Lauren assured me the risk any of those cuts getting infected in minimal. Just keep them clean."

Serena pulled up a first aid kit from the bed, "And when I take you home you better remind me to bring this. Ally packed it with everything your friends are going to need to keep your wounds cleaned. After the ass-kicking I let you take, the least I can do is let you take home some of our supplies."

"Do I want to look in a mirror?"

"No," Serena answered. "Not until the swelling goes down a little more. The tea will help with that."

"When am I going home?"

"After the swelling goes down a lot more," Serena smiled nervously. "I kind of don't feel like taking on your pirate friends. Speaking of… pirates?"

"Tensou wanted a theme," Gia said. "As long as it means we kick butt, I don't care what we look like."

"You're going to kick butt," Serena said and then leaned in and softly kissed Gia's forehead. After that she got up, told the yellow Ranger to rest up and that she would check on her again in a couple of hours. Gia didn't need to be told twice, and as her predecessor walked out, she nestled back into bed. The painkiller was starting to kick in, and she could feel the effects of her tea starting up, but she knew nothing would help her more than sleep.

But as she tried to get comfortable, she found something poking her side. At first she just thought it was one of her many battle wounds, but it wasn't a pulling or a tearing feeling. It was a real jab. She reached under the blankets and pulled up the first thing her hand touched. To her surprise, it was a white Samurai Ranger key, just like all the others her team possessed of past Ranger Powers. A smile crept on her lips as she held it in her hand and closed her eyes to sleep.

-Megaforce-

In the command center, Jake and the others were catching up on their studies. Unfortunately, their jobs as Rangers meant they couldn't stay in school anymore, but Dr. Oliver was more than willing to help them out, and was very eager to see them graduate on time with the rest of the students their age. With a little help from Ms. Chesterfield, he managed to arrange a type of home-schooling for the teens so that they could get their work done at the command center and have it count for the remaining credits they needed.

And unfortunately, Dr. Oliver saw this time between alien attacks as the perfect time to get the Rangers back into their schoolwork. Troy and Noah were glad to be back to a normal routine, even if it wasn't a normal classroom. Rebecca scratched her forehead as she looked down at her papers and tried to focus, but she had a lot on her mind. Jordan wanted to work, but couldn't help but get distracted by the two Rangers sitting beside him. Emma was just about to chew threw her mechanical pencil while Jake was tapping his against the table nervously. Neither had completed a single answer on their worksheets.

"Guys, she's in good hands," Jordan felt he had been repeating himself for two days now. Ever since Gia had left with Serena, Jake and Emma had been on edge. No one had been able to get a good night sleep, but Emma and Jake worried him the most. They weren't sleeping at all, they could barely eat. Jake had turned down a friendly little game of soccer in favour of staring at the entrance to the command center, and Emma had barely said a word. "If there's anyone who can help, it's Serena."

At that same moment, Troy's phone went off. Because his family had to assume he was dead, and everyone who knew he wasn't was with him in the room, he assumed it had to have something to do with Gia. He instantly looked up from his homework and grabbed his phone.

"It's from Ally. She, Lauren, Serena, and Gia are on their way now. Ten minutes, tops."

"Is everything okay?" Rebecca asked. Troy quickly texted the question and just seconds later got a reply.

"Serena says she fixed Gia. She says not to worry."

"For real?"

"For real," Troy nodded his head. Rebecca breathed a huge sigh of relief and sunk happily into her chair.

Jordan gently nudged Emma, "See? I told you she would be fine. You had nothing to worry about."

"Oh, we had everything to worry about," Rebecca said. In spite of knowing the exact reason Gia needed to leave with Serena, she hadn't said anything to the others. It was a heavy matter, and she didn't feel it was right to discuss Gia without Gia being there. She also didn't want her friends to worry more than they had to; sure the uncertainty was better than knowing Gia had seriously considered killing herself. "I'm just glad it's not anymore."

Finally, the Rangers could hear the sound they had been waiting for a long time. It was footsteps coming into the command center. They all turned to the entrance and jumped up from their seats when they saw Gia walked in first.

Jake was first to reach her. He scooped her up in his arms, spun her around, and then kissed her lovingly. Gia put her arms around him and held him tight. She buried her face between his neck and shoulder and whispered she loved him.

"Are you okay?" he asked her in response. "I was so worried, I…"

"I'm better than okay," she answered him. Jake pulled her in for another kiss and then he let her go. He knew there were a lot more welcomes to be had, and he couldn't hog her, as much as he wanted to.

Emma was next. She hugged her best friend tightly and heard a little pained groan, but she didn't care much. She was glad to see Gia home safe and sound.

Until she pulled away and got a real look at her best friend. Gia was covered, almost head to two, in cuts and bruises. She looked almost identical to the Gia who had been dating Cliff. Emma growled, and shifted her glare on to Serena, who just walked into the command center. Serena felt the burning threat of the glare and grabbed the nearest thing she could to put between herself and Emma.

"HEY!" Ally cried and tried to move away, but Serena was strong. "I'm literally no help here!"

"I'm gonna kill you," Emma threatened Serena and ran for her. Realizing she had no protection from Ally, and she was in a lot of danger with Emma, Serena took off running out of the command center. The pink Ranger was hot on her trail.

When Jake got a good look at his girlfriend as she was saying hello to the boys and Rebecca, he decided Emma had the right idea and started to run after her and Serena.

"Wait up! I want a piece of her too!"

"Get in line!" Emma shouted back and then suddenly there was a loud scream. Ally bit her lip nervously and turned to Lauren worriedly. The red Samurai shrugged.

"I'm still mad at her. They can do what they want."

"We haven't gotten the check for the repairs yet," Ally said. "And Serena's a reference for the agency. If someone calls and she's been murdered…"

"Dammit…" Lauren grumbled and followed the other Rangers out to reluctantly rescue Serena.

Meanwhile, the welcome home hugs were done, and Gia could feel her friends wanted the answers she had promised them on her way out. She knew this was going to be a tricky conversation but she knew they deserved the truth. While she was sure she had beaten her fears and worries, she wanted her friends to know what had happened just in case they returned. She didn't want to feel the way she had at the cliff again.

Tensou had a couch set up. Along with the kitchenette and the table, it was part of what he had built to make her and Emma, and now all the others, feel more at home in the command center. Jake and Emma were still out chasing Serena, but she wanted to talk to them both privately anyways. Now, while they were distracted, was as good a time as ever to tell her friends.

So she did. She spilled the whole story. When her thoughts of suicide started, her attempt at the cliff, while Vekar hadn't wanted to kill her when he threatened the others, as well as why Gosei had held her back, her talk with Rebecca, and her training with Serena. The watery eyes in the room nearly killed her, but let her know she had made the right decision by coming home and continuing to live and cherish her life. Her friends would have been devastated if anything had happened to them.

"Do you still feel that way?" Noah asked her. Gia shook her head.

"I get scared," she answered honestly. "But we don't know what's going to happen with Vrak and the Armada so I guess that's natural. But I've beaten the extremes. The thoughts and feelings I had that made me contemplate jumping are gone."

"You're sure?" Troy asked her. "There's no shame in admitting you might still… It's better to ask for help. That's the only way you're going to get it."

"I know. And I promise, next time I feel anything close to that, I'll tell you all."

"Please," Noah begged her. Gia offered him a faint smile.

"I'm okay," she assured him, Troy, Rebecca, Jordan, Dr. Oliver, and Tensou, who despite the fact that he was a robot, was wiping his eyes as though he had been crying. She pat the little robot on the top of his head. "I get it if you don't believe me but… Whatever Serena did, whatever was in that mirror image, it worked. I feel like a weight's been lifted and… I know better than to take the easy way out. I couldn't do that to you guys. I'm really sorry it crossed my mind."

"We're just glad you're safe," Noah smiled to her. He pulled her in for another hug and then grabbed his notebook and walked off to his bedroom to continue doing his homework. Jordan did the same and followed the blue Ranger. Gia was sure they were going to talk about her, but they had every right to. She knew there were going to be whispers and watchful eyes for the next while.

Rebecca hugged her tightly, told her how happy she was that she was home and feeling better, and then walked to her and Troy's room with Tensou in tow, saying she needed help with her homework. Dr. Oliver told Gia that he was available anytime she needed to talk, and that he had a whole resource of people available and willing to help. When she thanked, he checked the time on his watch and said he needed to head back home, but told her his phone would always be on.

It was only Troy left in the room. He looked to Gia. She could see the fear, the disappointment, and the shame in his eyes, but unless she was mistaken, they were directed at her.

"Troy…"

"Is there anything I can do?" he asked her. "Should I increase training time so we all get stronger? Or cut back? Is it stressing you out? Do you need time off? I'm sure I can find a way for the team to manage without you for a while. If you want to visit your mother…"

"Troy…"

"I'm serious, Gia, whatever you need. Whatever's going to help you feel better faster, I'll help."

"I just need you guys," Gia said. "You guys are all the therapy I need. And I'll do my part."

"You can't just… This is serious, Gia."

"Troy…"

"Suicide is a permanent solution. You can't take it back. You can't…"

"Troy, I'm sorry," Gia said and she could see the red Rangers' eyes were really starting to water, though he was trying his best to hide it. She had seen him tear up before, but Troy could usually keep his emotions under control. If he was on the verge of bawling, something had to be seriously wrong. "If it means anything, I'm grateful I never got the chance to jump. I know it was stupid and…"

"What pushed you? What made you feel that way?" Troy asked her. "Was it just the frustration of the battle? Is it the invasion? Vrak's return? What can I do to help? How can I make you feel better?"

"Troy, relax. I'm going to be okay. Serena talked me round and that Symbol she used…"

"She used a Symbol on you? If it wears off…"

"Nothing was used on me."

"Are you sure? No Symbols, spells? You're not going to… I mean, I don't have to worry about finding a new yellow to take your place or…"

"No," Gia insisted and pulled him in for a comforting hug. "Troy, I'm really sorry I scared you. I just… it all felt hopeless and I kind of got tunnel vision. I promise it won't happen again. You don't have to worry about me."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. Troy, what's got you so upset? I mean, more upset than the others…"

"Nothing," Troy moved away and wiped his eyes on his sleeve. Gia grabbed his arm.

"Seriously."

"Ryan," he sighed. Gia tilted her head and looked to his curiously.

"Your sister?"

He shook his head, "The boy she was named after. He killed himself."

"I… I'm sorry, Troy. I didn't even think of that…"

"When I found out… I always felt like there was something I could have done."

Gia remembered Troy telling the story of Ryan. She remembered how Troy had been bullied mercilessly as a child until Ryan, a small, skinny, dorky looking kid stood up for him. The bullies stopped teasing Troy, but only because they made Ryan their new victim. The bullying was so bad, Ryan couldn't take it and killed himself. He left a note saying it was all he could think of doing to escape the misery.

Gia pulled Troy back in for another hug.

"I'm sorry. I promise, I'm not going anywhere."

Troy squeezed her gently and then headed out of the command center. He needed some fresh air. As he walked out, Emma, Jake, Serena, and Lauren walked back in.

Now Gia really felt her stomach turn. She knew she had to tell them, and she knew it was going to hurt. If she had managed to reduce Troy to tears, she couldn't image how her best friend and her boyfriend, both of whom cared about her deeply, would react.


	15. Right To Get Angry

All night Gia had heard and felt people creeping up to her bed to check up on her. After a painful reveal of her thoughts by the cliffside, she knew she had left her friends with a lot to worry about, and it warmed her heart to know that they were all keeping an eye on her. Every time someone peeked into her room, or walked up to her bed to be sure she was asleep safe and sound, it let her know that they cared and that they wanted to have her by their side.

She shared a room with Emma, and so had the pink Ranger in her bed the whole night. Every couple of hours Gia could feel Emma roll over in bed to check up on her. Several times, Troy and Noah peeked through the door. Tensou rolled in a couple of times. Jordan had walked in to check up on both girls.

The only person Gia noticed who hadn't stopped by at all during the night was Jake. At about five o'clock in the morning she realized he wasn't going to come in at all and decided to go check up on him.

Her announcement had shocked her friends, but Jake and Emma the most. They had been left speechless and in tears, and spoke only to reassure themselves that Gia's thoughts of suicide were gone. However, Gia knew it was going to be a long time before they were convinced. It was the reason Emma had chosen to share the small bed with her. It was without a doubt that Emma would only be able to sleep if she knew Gia was safe and sound right beside her. In fact, all night, Gia had felt Emma's hand, or leg, or arm, or Emma's whole body against hers.

Jake had been angry, hurt, and scared. Gia knew to expect that, and had given him the space he needed as well as the reassurance that she was feeling better and she wasn't going anywhere. She promised to talk to him if she felt herself slipping again, but it seemed nothing could comfort him.

She tip-toed out of the bedroom and passed Tensou in the main room. She stepped outside the command center and found Jake sitting by the edge of the cliff. He was still far off from the drop, but he was looking out at the scene before him, enjoying the beauty of the night over the ocean.

"Jake," she whispered but he didn't answer her. She walked up to him slowly and sat next to him on the rock. She put his arms around him. "I'm really sorry."

Jake pulled her in closer and kissed the top of her head, but he didn't say anything. Now it was Gia's turn to be scared. She nestled into his embrace.

"I know it was stupid," she tried to explain to him again. "It was selfish and wrong and I should have let you or someone else know. I know it's a miracle I'm doing better now. I know that if Gosei hadn't held me back, or Rebecca hadn't figured it out, I'd still be in trouble but… I'm really sorry."

"You can't hide these things from me," Jake shook his head. "Especially when no one else knows how you're feeling."

"I know. I'm sorry…"

"Sorry doesn't cut it," Jake said. "If you had jumped off that cliff, a million of your apologies wouldn't have been able to bring you back."

Gia lowered her head. Jake gently squeezed her, "Why didn't you say anything? Why didn't you tell us you were feeling this way, or having these thoughts, or…"

"It was just after the fight," Gia whispered. "After Vrak got away, when I knew I had given it everything and it wasn't enough… I just couldn't see any way for this to turn around in my favour. I… I felt like a loser."

"And you thought jumping was going to fix that?"

"It's no excuse, but I wasn't thinking clearly," Gia said softly and sighed. "I didn't want Vrak to get his way with me again. I just… at the time it made sense. I know that's hard to believe…"

"No, that's easy to believe. And that's the scariest part," Jake told her. "If you had gotten the chance, were you really going to jump?"

"I did," Gia said. "The Armada and the Prince showed up and stopped me, but I did jump."

"So they saved you?"

"Sort of," Gia whispered. "They attacked. They tried to kill me and… I let them. That's actually part of what stopped them. You know, aside from you shooting at them."

Jake nodded his head but he didn't look happy to be hearing her story. Gia looked up at him and took both his hands, squeezing them tight.

"I know it's going to be really hard to believe me, Jake, but that's over. I'm ready and willing to live again, and I want to keep fighting. Serena's talk and training helped me. I know I made the wrong decision…"

"It's not about decisions," Jake shook his head. "It's how you feel, and how you handle that. We're not going to win every fight. We didn't against the Warstar and we're sure as hell not going to against the Armada. We're gonna lose. We're gonna get hurt. We're going to be trapped in situations that seem hopeless. I have every faith we're going to find a way to come out on top every time but now I'm scared you won't!"

"Jake…"

"I don't want to have to keep my eye on you. I don't want to have to fight by your side all the time just to make sure you aren't going to slip back to this! I need to be able to trust you, to let you go, to let you take risks knowing you're going to fight your hardest to come back! I can't do that now!"

"You can. I'll fight. I'll fight with everything I have. I want to be here now…"

"I'm scared to believe you," Jake shook his head. "I'm scared that… if I let you go, you're not going to come back. I'm scared I'm going to lose my heart."

Jake pulled his hands away from Gia's and then stood up. He walked back towards the command center, only stopping when he was in front of the entrance. Gia followed him.

"Jake, I'm sorry. I know it's going to take a long time to feel better again but whatever you need to do…"

"I'm sorry, Gia," Jake shook his head, "But after this, I need to hold on tight and… I know I can't. I can't ask you where you're going all the time, what you're doing, what you're thinking. I can't… I won't control you like that."

"If you need to check up on me…"

"No," Jake shook his head. "I'd never do anything to hurt you, but… this isn't going to work for us. You can't have someone who needs you to check in all the time. You can't have someone who won't let you make a decision for yourself without it being questioned. That's what I need to feel better, but that's not going to work for you. That's not the type of relationship you need or we want."

"Jake…"

"I'm always going to care about you, Gia," Jake looked right in her eyes, "But… I think we need some space."

"No."

"I'm sorry."

"You're not Cliff. I don't see you as Cliff, or like any other guy, if that's what you're scared of," Gia shook her head. "I'll check in, I'll tell you everything, I'll be happy to do it! Jake, I love you. I'll do whatever it takes for you to feel better again."

"I'm not comfortable with that," Jake said.

"You're just scared," Gia shook her head.

"I know," Jake said. "And that's exactly why this can't work. I'm not going to want to let you out of my sight. I'm not going to trust you going off on your own. I'm scared of what that's going to do to you, to us."

"I trust you. Don't you… don't you trust you'll never turn into him?"

"Of course I do," Jake nodded. "I'm nothing like him, and I'll never be. I'll never treat you or any woman the way he did…"

"So then don't do this."

"I have to," Jake whispered. "I'm scared you're going to… I'm scared that if I hold on too tightly, you're going to go back to who you were when you were with him. I'm scared you'll revert back. I'm never going to hurt you, but I'm never going to let you feel that way again."

"Jake…"

"Can we just take a break?" he begged her. "Can we put this on pause until you're feeling better and I don't feel like I have to hold on so tightly?"

"You're going to do it even if I say no, aren't you?"

"I still love you," he told her. "I still care. I'm always going to be here for you, and I promise, until we sort this out, you're still the only girl who has my heart. But we can't do this."

Gia looked up at him with tear filled eyes, and then shoved him aggressively.

"I came back for you!" she screamed. "I fought all my demons for you!"

"Gia…"

"Shut up!" she shook her head. "I did everything for you. I know I screwed up this time. I know I scared you but… but I'm sorry."

"Me too."

"No! I faced my biggest fears, I fought against myself and anyone else standing in our way to make you happy! What more do I have to do? What, did you think you just had to fix me? Am I just a big disappointment to you now?"

"No. Gia, it's not like that."

"Well, guess what!" Gia shouted. "I fix me! I'm the only person who gets to control how I want to live my life."

"I know."

"You don't get to fix me. You don't get to be the person who gets all the glory! Screw you for thinking that!"

"I didn't. I wasn't looking for glory, I was…"

"Fuck off," Gia shook her head and stormed back inside the command center, slamming the door as she did. Jake grabbed his head and let out a frustrated sigh. He had spent the entire night trying to find the smoothest way to ask for a break. He knew, no matter what he did, it would be tough on her. However, he hadn't expected that reaction.

A few moments later, the door opened again. Jake was sure it was going to be Emma coming out to yell at him. Even when he was sure he had done the right thing by Gia, Emma always had to give him an earful and a new bruise. No one else really knew it, but when she wanted, she had the hardest punch of everyone on the team.

"Dude," Jake felt a hand on his shoulder and turned around, seeing it was Jordan who had come for him. "What the hell? Even if she says she's better, you don't make someone who just recently threatened to kill herself cry."

"I couldn't pretend," Jake shook his head. "It'd drive me mad."

"Don't you think she kind of owes it to you to… check in constantly?" Jordan asked. Jake looked to him curiously. He chuckled, "She's in there ranting about everything to the others. I heard most of it before Emma sent me out here to check up on you. You know, it's okay to feel scared, right? We all do."

"After the way Cliff controlled her…"

"Dude, you're not Cliff. I know that, Emma knows that, Gia really knows that."

"I just… I don't want her to feel like she owes me something, or needs to check with me on everything, or that I'm in charge of her now."

"Making sure your girlfriend doesn't do something stupid doesn't mean you're in charge of her," Jordan shook his head. "Jake, when I had to move away, I told Emma to text me after every battle. I'd give her some time to rest, but if a couple of days went by and she didn't message me to tell me she was okay, I'd get pissed."

"Dude, your relationship is different."

"No," Jordan shook his head. "Unless moving faster than you and Gia is a major difference, which it's not."

"I…"

"Seriously, Jake, you're not going to coddle her forever, are you? Are you seriously never going to get mad when she does something stupid, or potentially puts herself in danger?"

"I never really thought about that."

"You know, you're allowed to be angry. You're allowed to scream and shout at her. You can't hit her. You can't belittle her, but you're certainly allowed to tell her how you feel."

"Maybe that works for you and Emma…"

"It works for all couples, Jake," Jordan shook his head. "I may not be training at the police academy yet, but I'm taking a communication and conflict resolution course online. I know it's going to help when I'm an officer. You're allowed to let her know you're angry. She can feel badly about what she's done. In fact, it's better for the both of you if you do."

"I…"

"How do you think she feels now?" Jordan asked. "Jake, I get what you're trying to do but… this time, no one would have blamed you for yelling and screaming at her. As long as you kept your hands off and didn't hit below the belt."

"I don't want her to revert."

"You've got to leave that to her," Jordan put his hand on Jake's shoulder and smiled. "If this relationship is going to be strong enough to last, you've got to be allowed to feel, and she's got to believe in herself enough not to crumble anytime you do get angry. Are you seriously going to have a relationship where she's never wrong?"

"That's what my dad said marriage was," Jake chuckled. Jordan shook his head.

"She's never wrong about the little stuff, about the stuff that doesn't matter. She put herself in danger. She hid her problems from you, and as a result, she almost lost her life and you almost lost the love of yours. You should have just gotten angry."

"Should have," Jake rolled his eyes, "But now what? I can't just storm in and get angry with her now, can I? I already ruined this."

"Let the others talk to her. When you're both feeling a little better, maybe you can get this sorted. But just remember, you're allowed to feel the way you do. If she can't handle that, she's not ready for a relationship."

"You learned all this from an online class?" Jake asked. Jordan shrugged his shoulders.

"What? I can't be smart? Dude, I want to be a police officer. I'm going to get calls for domestic disputes all the time! I might as well practice with you and Gia."

"What the hell does that mean? I'd never threaten her!"

"I know, I know, but I don't have another couple to practice with," Jordan rolled his eyes. "Troy, Noah, and Rebecca don't seem very eager to jump into the dating scene, and I can't exactly start preaching to my own girlfriend. How do you think Emma's going to respond next time she and I fight, and I tell her how she should handle herself? She looks soft and innocent, but you know just as well as I do she has that angry, dangerous side to her."

"Good point," Jake nodded his head. He looked back at the command center, "So… how long do I wait out here?"

"I dunno," Jordan shrugged his shoulders. "Probably at least until breakfast. Gia was really pissed when she came in."


	16. Relationship Mends And Woes

After giving her some much needed time to vent her anger out with Emma, and then a little more time to cool down, Jake knocked on the door to Gia's bedroom and walked in, carrying a tray of breakfast. As it turned out, Gia had been too upset to eat, which was understandable. He hoped he could change her mind. She couldn't starve herself.

"Gia…"

"What?" she snapped at him, and then turned around on her bed so she didn't have to face him. Jake put the tray down on her side table and walked around the bed. Gia turned again. He sighed loudly.

"I'm pissed, alright."

"Yeah, me too."

"No… I'm… I'm seriously pissed," Jake shook his head. He grabbed her arm and turned her so she had to look at him. "You're always doing this. You're always hiding or running off or just… not thinking! Do you have any idea how hard it is to love you when I'm always having to worry about your next stupid stunt, or trying to stop you getting yourself killed?"

"You made it clear outside, Jake. You don't want anything to do with me…"

"That's not what I said," Jake shook his head. "That's not true. That's never going to be true! Gia, I love you so much I can hardly fucking stand it!"

"Fine, then I'll just get out of your life…"

"You do that, and I'll be lost," Jake told her. "Every time I look at you, my heart just stops working and I can't breathe. You're so beautiful, you're so amazing, you're just… you're everything to me, Gia. I know it's cheesy. I know it's probably the least romantic, most corny thing I could ever say, but you're what's killing me, and you're the only thing keeping me alive. You're the reason I get up every morning and try to be a better person than who I was yesterday. You're the reason I give it one hundred and ten out there on the battle field, in school, or on the soccer field. You deserve that. You deserve to have the best guy, doing his best, all the time, just for you. But I don't want to waste my time!"

"Then don't!"

"I want to break my back for you. It's worth it, coming back here, coming back to you. After a long battle, or just a rough day, knowing you're waiting for me, knowing you're there and that you love me makes everything better. Do you have any idea how fucking lost I'd be without you? How I'd just give up on all this bullshit if I lost you?"

Gia bit her lip and tried to pull away. Jake kept his hand around her arm and pulled her back.

"We're in a dangerous business," he told her. "Any day, any minute, something could happen to you. I can't bear the thought," tears came to his eyes. Gia looked up and she could feel his pain, as though it was radiating from his body. She turned her head away, but Jake grabbed it and turned it back. He wanted her to look at him. He wanted her to see and feel his anger, his hurt, and his fear. He had listened to Jordan, and he had taken his words to heart. He was in a relationship, and his feelings mattered just as much as Gia's. He had a right to be angry with her, and he had a right to tell her so. "But, at least if it's the Warstar, or the Armada, or Vrak that kill you… at least I can say the only woman I'll ever love died a hero. A brave, selfless, amazing hero. At least I can live on with your memory."

Jake dropped to his knees. He took her hands and squeezed them tight, "But if you had jumped… if you ever kill yourself… what the hell am I going to do, Gia? How do I… I mean… I can't live on like that. It's going to tear me apart and… who knows, maybe I'll do something stupid too."

"Jake…"

"I get this is hard and… and I'm not mad at you for being upset or scared or angry at the world and at Vrak. I'm not mad at you because you feel this way and you feel trapped and it's your only way out. I'm mad at you because you didn't talk to me. You didn't give me the chance to be a good boyfriend and a good partner and help! That's what we do, Gia. As friends, as teammates, as a couple, we talk to each other about stuff like this and we work through it together. Rebecca shouldn't have been the one to call Serena. That should have been me, and that should have been before you tried to kill yourself."

"It's never going to happen again," Gia assured him. "I promise, I'm feeling better. I promise, you don't have to worry. And I promise that I'll talk to you next time I feel upset like that again."

"You better," Jake stood up and pulled her into his arms. He hugged her as tightly as he could without hurting her. He kissed the side of her head, "I'm so pissed off at you right now."

"I'm sorry," she whispered and held him. "I am really, really sorry."

"I want to keep an eye on you. Just for me. Just so I know you're really okay," Jake pulled away just enough to look at her. "I want to believe you, but…"

"I know. I get it. I promise, I'll let you know where I'm going, what I'm doing, and if it makes you feel any better, I won't go anywhere without someone coming with me," Gia smiled. "I'm more than happy to do it."

"It's just temporary. I don't… I don't want you to think I'm…"

"I love you," Gia smiled. She leaned in to kiss him, but stopped just before their lips touched. She looked to him, "Wait, does this mean…?"

"We don't need a break," Jake nodded. "I'm so sorry I said that. I just didn't…"

Gia interrupted him with a kiss. Jake didn't say anything more. He lowered Gia to the bed and deepened the kiss.

By the door, peeking through the little crack, Emma and Jordan were spying on their friends. While Emma was looking on in worry and disgust, Jordan was smirking proudly.

"I did that."

"You realize you're bragging to me about putting a boy on top of my best friend, right?" Emma glanced up at him. Jordan shrugged his shoulders.

"What? They're still just in the make-out stage, so it's cute… right?"

"That's never going to be cute," Emma grumbled as she put her hand on her stomach and rolled her eyes. She closed the door, "Ugh… now I know why Gia's still got a problem with you."

"She can't have a problem anymore, right," Jordan pulled her into his arms and smiled, "Now that we're getting married, with her blessing…"

"Actually… about that," Emma started and Jordan felt his stomach turn. His worry was obvious on his face because Emma quickly rephrased her words, "No, no, I mean, I still want to marry you but… it's just… you didn't really get Gia's blessing."

"I… I didn't?" Jordan frowned. "Hold on. Wait a minute. She said yes. And yes means yes."

"Gia said yes when she was thinking about killing herself. Who knows if she really just meant it, or if she just said it so that when she was dead, I would at least still have you?"

"What do you mean, at least?"

"She means you've got to ask Gia again," Rebecca said, appearing seemingly out of nowhere right behind Jordan. He let out a little cry and a jump as he turned around and spotted the younger girl.

"Where did you come from?"

"I'm bored," Rebecca said. "And then I saw you guys creeping Gia and Jake. I figured something interesting must have been going on."

"Nothing's going on," Jordan rolled his eyes. "Jake and Gia are just making up."

"Making out, I hear," Rebecca smirked. "By the way, you might want to go in there and ask for her blessing while she's in a good mood. Now that Gia says she's feeling better, she'll probably be more in the mood to mess around with you and watch you squirm."

"I… she…"

"Ah! Ah!" Emma grabbed his arm before he could go in and she shook her head. "You don't want to go in just yet. It wouldn't be good to interrupt her while she and Jake are having a good time."

"I… but…"

"You know, you should ask Gia to dinner," Rebecca offered. "Take her somewhere nice. Offer to pay, be a gentleman…"

"Wait," Jordan frowned and scratched his head. "Are you saying I've got to date my fiancée's best friend?"

Rebecca and Emma exchanged looks and then both nodded.

"Yep."

"Wait, that's twisted."

"Just no kissing," Emma said. "Or hand holding. Or romance. But be a gentleman. Pay for dinner, pull out her chair…"

"So date her…"

"And take her somewhere nice," Rebecca suggested. "You know, you should buy her flowers."

"No flowers," Emma argued. Rebecca rolled her eyes.

"He's not going out with you. Gia would appreciate a nice little bouquet. You know, soften her up. You want her to say yes, after all."

"Wait…"

"Alright, fine, pick her up a nice bouquet. Not roses, though. That's crossing a line."

"They're just flowers," Rebecca said. "Though I agree, red roses are out. Buy her yellow. Conveniently for you, those symbolize friendship."

"Okay, I wouldn't mind yellow roses," Emma nodded. Then she looked her fiancé up and down and gave him a disapproving look. "Did you pack something… less casual to wear?"

"I…"

"Oh, yeah, he's gonna need a suit," Rebecca agreed. "Can't take her somewhere expensive in jeans and a sweatshirt."

"Whoa, whoa, expensive?"

"You must have something better in your bags," Emma said and then grabbed Rebecca's hand, "Here, help me look."

She and Rebecca walked off to Jordan and Jake's bedroom to find him something better to wear. Jordan, meanwhile, was left completely baffled in the hallway. He scratched his head and walked to the main room, where Noah, Troy, and Tensou were playing cards at the table. The three looked to him, saw there was something wrong and asked. Jordan shrugged. He pointed to Troy.

"Your sister and my fiancée just set me up on a date… with Gia?"

"What?" Noah frowned. "Does Jake know about this?"

"Why are they setting you up on a date with Gia?" Troy asked.

"Humans are weird," Tensou shook his head, set down his hand and then went back to working on the consoles.

Jordan sighed. "I don't know. Apparently I need to get Gia's blessing again to marry Emma because she was suicidal last time."

"Jordan! You should probably go to the florist now!" Emma called as she walked into the main room. She had one of his better shirts on her arm and was holding up two of his pants. One was his pair of dress pants, which he had brought for any romantic nights he would get to have with his girlfriend, and the other was a pair of black jeans. "Were you planning on taking her to a four star or five star restaurant."

"Uh… nowhere," Jordan shook his head, "but if I have to take her out, I was thinking Ernie's…"

"We can't go to Ernie's. He knows us, and we're supposed to be dead. You bring Gia there, if he or anyone from school recognizes her, we've blown this whole dead thing out of the water. Besides, I'm not letting you date my best friend and just take her down to Ernie's."

"Everything is wrong with that sentence," Jordan stated. Emma put her hands on her hips. Jordan sighed. "I can only afford four star dining."

"I guess the dress pants will make up for it," Emma said. "By the way, speaking of us being dead, make sure you keep her under the radar. No one can recognize her."

"Not a problem," Jordan muttered as Emma walked away, likely to lay out his clothes on his bed for him. "No one our age can or wants to eat at a four star restaurant."

"You marry one, you marry the other," Troy could only shrug his shoulders and chuckle. "Oh, by the way, promise you'll avoid bridges."

"You know," Noah said, "You really should ask Jake if he's cool with you dating Gia."

"I'm not dating her. I'm taking her out to ask her for her blessing so I can marry Emma."

"Not before you ask Jake if he's alright with the date," Noah shook his head. Jordan threw his hands up in the air and groaned loudly as he walked off.

"I bought a ring! I thought that would be enough! No, I've got to marry into this wacko family."

"Heard that!" Troy, Noah, and Emma all called out.


	17. I, I, I

Though part of the city was left in ruins after the Rangers' last battle with Vrak, as well as the first attack from the invasion, there were still plenty of places for Jordan to take Gia out to dinner.

It had been Emma's idea. After Gia had revealed she had been thinking of taking her out life, Emma realized that she and Jordan had received Gia's blessing at a time where Gia's state of mind had been compromised. Though Jordan felt a blessing was good no matter how it came, Emma insisted on Jordan asking Gia once again. Gia was family to Emma, and so her thoughts on the engagement mattered. If Jordan could get Gia to be okay with the engagement and eventual marriage that was promised from it, then Emma would be extremely happy and confident about her decision.

So Jordan was going to pull out all the stops. With help from the other two girls at the command center, he dressed up nicely and took Gia out to a fancy restaurant for dinner. The yellow Ranger seemed very reluctant to an evening along with him, but Emma must have said something, because Gia was out with him now. When they took their seats at the table, Jordan looked across and saw Gia picking up the menu. He wasn't sure what to say. Though the two of them loved to taunt each other, now wasn't the time or the place. Unless he could find a way to have a real conversation with her, the night was going to get very awkward.

"I know what you're doing," Gia started up and Jordan gulped. It seemed he was headed in the direction of awkward.

"You… do?"

"Why else would we be going to dinner?" Gia asked and then pointed to the empty spaces between them at the table, "Alone."

Jordan bit his lip and nodded his head, "So… can we cut this short? Do I have your blessing?"

Gia looked across the table at Jordan and then averted her gaze so she was staring blankly at the menu. Her previous blessing, despite the timing, had been genuine. She knew Jordan made Emma very happy and that he was a good man for her. To Gia, that was all that mattered. However, the fact that she was thinking a lot more clearly now put the whole affair in a new perspective. Gia wasn't just saying yes to the engagement so that, after she died, Emma would still have someone in her life she could lean on. There was a lot more to consider, and a lot more she needed and wanted to talk about with the couple before she could give her second, and apparently her real blessing. Jordan noticed the hesitation and started to feel very nervous. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

"All the things I said before are true," he told her. "I'm always going to take care of her. I'll treat her right. I'll…"

"You're both seventeen, you know," Gia said.

"I can't imagine life without her," Jordan insisted. "And we won't rush into the wedding…"

"What about the proposal itself?" Gia asked. "It's pretty obvious you proposed as soon as you came back, and I know Emma wouldn't have been happy with you turning up. We're living at the command center for a reason."

Jordan continued to bite his lip and looked down. Gia was sure she had touched on something with her comment and knew she had to press it. She leaned in a little closer.

"You weren't just popping the question to change her mind, were you?"

"I do want to spend the rest of my life with her," Jordan said. "I know this is the right decision. I know she's the one I want to be with."

"But if she hadn't of tried to push you away, would you have just turned up, or would you still have brought the ring with you?"

"I…" Jordan gulped. His proposal had been sincere, and he had no regrets about it, but he couldn't deny that he had somewhat used it to get Emma to reconsider pushing him away. He had known that, in her state of mind, she never would have agreed to let him stay in Harwood with her, never mind the command center, unless he did something really big to prove he wanted to be with her.

And he knew that wasn't going to fly with Gia. He was in hot water, and they hadn't even ordered their drinks yet.

"Does she know?" Gia didn't need confirmation from him to know his answer. His hesitation said it all. "Does she know this was just one of the steps you took to convince her to let you stay?"

"I wouldn't have done it if I wasn't serious," Jordan said and was hoping to win back some ground. Gia shook her head.

"That's not fair."

"You know I love her. I'd do anything for her! I want to make this work. I want to spend the rest of my life with her!"

"It's still not fair. Not to Emma," Gia shook her head and crossed her arms over her chest. "Emma deserves better than that!"

"I…"

"This has to be serious! This has to be something you've been considering for a long time!"

"I know it's what I want. And she said yes…"

"Of course she said yes! You two were made for each other!"

"What?"

"Look," Gia sighed and looked straight into Jordan's eyes, "There's no one better for Emma than you. I just think, if you didn't pop the question with nothing but love in your heart, you're a dick."

"Of course there was nothing but love."

"You had a motive. You wanted to stay."

"Because I loved her! Because I couldn't stay on the sidelines in another city watching as she threw herself in harm's way!"

"So you popped the question so you could have it your way," Gia said.

"I love her. I want to spend the rest of my life with her, and I want that to start now."

"What if something happens?" Gia asked.

"That's why I want this to start now. I can't stay away! I can't let these moments go by knowing they could be the last. As long as I go with her, I'm happy."

Gia raised an eyebrow and didn't look pleased with his answer. Jordan wanted to say more, but she cut him off.

"What if she loses a finger, or a hand? Serena told me a Nighlok left her paralyzed once, and it very well could have been permanent. How are you going to handle that? Having to push Emma around in a chair for the rest of her life? Being responsible for her medical bills, her medicine, her state of mind."

"I'll take care of her."

"Really?" Gia asked. "You're seriously going to put up with all of that? All her pain, all her grieving. If anything happens, like she loses a foot or a leg, or she's paralyzed, her days of riding are over!"

"I'll find another way to get her up on a bike."

"What if she doesn't want it?" Gia asked. "What if she lets her injury get to her, and decides she's never riding again? Then never taking pictures. She loses her passion for the environment. What if that one injury she very well could suffer changes her completely? Are you sure you want to stick around for that?"

"Yes! Don't you think I've thought of the worst?"

"What if she doesn't want you?" Gia asked. "What if she changes her mind? What if she decides this isn't what she wants anymore?"

"Why would she…?"

"I don't know," Gia shrugged her shoulders, "But have you thought of her?"

"What?"

"I'll I've been hearing is '_I… I… I'_," Gia stated. "You want to be with her. You don't want to lose another moment with her. You want to spend the rest of your life with her."

"She said yes. She feels the same."

"Of course she does," Gia nodded. "But you didn't think about her. You didn't think about what she wanted or how she felt."

"I…"

"Emma made it very clear she wanted to keep the people she cared about as far away from the Ranger business as possible. She left our mothers behind because she couldn't handle the thought of anything happening to them. She wanted to leave you because she couldn't bear to lose you. If I weren't a Ranger, I know she would have walked away from me."

"She wouldn't have been happy…"

"And if you had come here just for that, just because you knew that deep down what she wanted wasn't what was going to make her happy in the long run, then I would have been the first to congratulate you on your engagement. I'd be planning the wedding myself, though not for a few years, at least," Gia shook her head. "But you ignored her wishes because you didn't want to lose her. You would rather she lose you. You would rather her heart be broken just so you can spend just another second with her. That's what this sounds like to me."

"And, what?" Jordan frowned, "you walking off that cliff wasn't the same thing? You breaking her heart just to save your own."

"And that's how I can smell your bullshit," Gia smirked and glared across the table at him. "I know I made a huge mistake, and I've owned up to it, and I'm never going to let anyone hurt her like that again."

Gia stood up and leaned over the table and over Jordan, "Next time you propose to her, I want you to consider her feelings. I want you to take a long moment to think about how this affects her. If you want to take care of her, you have to be willing to hurt for her."

As the waiter came over to take their drink orders, Gia walked away from the table. Jordan sent the waiter away and ran after her out of the restaurant. He caught her just as she stepped out on the sidewalk.

"Wait, are you taking away your blessing or not? If I re-propose with those intentions… do I have your blessing?"

Gia rolled her eyes, "I want you and Emma to be happy together. I just don't want her engagement to be all about you. She deserves so much better than that. If you don't agree, you don't have my blessing."

Jordan groaned and slumped his shoulders, "I knew this was a bad idea."

-Megaforce-

While Jordan and Gia were out on their _date_, Troy had made other plans. Though the Rangers faked death made it difficult for them to go in and out of the city undetected, there were still some places they could go. Fortunately, they had managed to keep a low profile, and so only people who knew them prior to their deaths being announced on the news would be able to recognize them. This mean they had to avoid places like school, or the Brainfreeze, or the parks and soccer fields, but they were free to roam nearly anywhere else. Just for added precaution, Troy wore a cap and some sunglasses while he took a walk along the beach.

Though he had been told that in their last battle with Vrak, Robo-Knight had taken off, Troy didn't want to assume his robotic friend had just abandoned them. He was sure there was a reason Robo-Knight had retreated. Robo-Knight was stronger than him and all the other Rangers, and likely had more power than the five of them combined, but even he had his limits.

But seeing as Robo-Knight hadn't yet returned, especially with the Earth in such danger, Troy began to worry. Something had to have happened. It was quick possible Robo-Knight was seriously damaged or in trouble. While the team was stronger with their new powers, and they had enough power ups and weapons to make up for being one teammate down, the fact of the matter was that they were one teammate down. One of their allies, their friend, was missing.

"We haven't forgotten about you, Robo-Knight," Troy said. "If you're still out there, we'll find you. I promise."

He was about to turn back. It was a long walk home to the command center, but he heard a familiar robotic sound. At first he was hopeful that it was Robo-Knight, but he was soon proven wrong. He investigated the source of the noise and saw a group of X-Borgs being led by a bigger alien into what appeared to be an abandoned warehouse just a little ways off from the public beach. He knew, right away, they were up to no good. Aliens on Earth was never a good sign.


	18. The Missile Threat

_Author's Note: Apology for the delays. My laptop crashed on me on Friday afternoon and I couldn't get it (or any of my files) back until today (though there was doubt surrounding the files... yikes!). Thank you so much for your patience and I hope this chapter is worth the wait!_

* * *

The first thing he saw as soon as he was inside was a missile launching station, with five missiles almost ready to go. His heart caught in his throat as he worried where the Armada planned to shoot their newest weapons.

He turned his attention to the aliens all around the warehouse. Many of them were X-Borgs keeping guard, likely for him or the other Rangers. Some were bruisers, the bigger, stronger foot soldiers of the Armada. The alien standing by the missiles, looking like he was programming them to launch was Vekar. Troy could recognize him anywhere, and seeing he had taken this mission personally, Troy knew he and his teammates had to do the same. He reached for his morpher, but before he could get it out or get a call for help, he felt something hit him on the back of the head and he passed out.

-Megaforce-

"I'll work hard so there's always money. I'll come home every night to take care of her, I'll do the dishes and all the other chores, I'll be a loving, supportive father to our children..."

"Oh dear God! I don't want to hear about _kids_!" Gia cried and spun around to look at Jordan, who since she had left the restaurant he had followed her down the street. "I'm still not used to you two fucking!"

"I'm a gentleman about that."

"Jordan, seriously!" Gia shook her head and groaned. "I gave you my answer. If you want my blessing, you have to make the proposal less about you..."

"But I already proposed and she said yes," Jordan interrupted and he sounded just as annoyed. "Gia, please, just give me your blessing. You know I'm good enough for Emma. You know I'll take care of her. And you know she's only making me do this..."

"So you don't actually want my blessing? You're just doing this because Emma's making you? You don't actually care what I think?"

"Well, I'm not marrying you... that was the wrong answer, wasn't it?"

"No wonder you're not getting this," Gia grumbled and turned the corner, down an alleyway. As a result of Dr. Oliver making the city believe she and the other Rangers were dead, Gia needed to avoid the public eye as much as possible. In the restaurant, there were very few people who could recognize her, but on the streets she was sure to bump into one of her former classmates. To avoid this, and to avoid bringing up too many questions or problems, she had been told by everyone to stick to the back roads and stay out of sight as much as possible.

Jordan, seeing her turn the corner and knowing he couldn't be seen by her, took a minute to roll his eyes at her, make a face, and pretend to shoot himself.

Meanwhile, Gia had taken a few steps down the alleyway and stopped suddenly when she felt something wasn't right. She glanced around quickly, but didn't need to look too long before she spotted them. Three men, at least twice her side, jumped out at her to attack. She reached for her morpher, but as soon as she tried it fell from her pocket, and before she could reach it, a thug kicked it away and he and his friends started their attack. Gia had no choice but to leave the morpher aside and try to defend herself.

At the same time, Jordan turned the corner, "Gia, your blessing means a lot to me too and..."

"Jordan, run!" Gia called out to him and he looked up. He spotted the three big thugs attacking Gia and his eyes widened. His first thought was to do as she asked and run, but he couldn't bring himself to do so. He couldn't leave her alone to face three men.

"Jordan...!"

"No way! I can help!" Jordan shook his head and saw one of the thugs coming for him.

"You're not going anywhere," he said and Jordan smirked.

"That's the plan! Come at me!"

Gia felt a little pressure leave her as one of the thugs was distracted by Jordan, but she knew she had to continue to fight just as hard. Jordan had trained with her and the other Rangers quite a bit, and she knew of his aspiration to be a police officer, which meant he had kept up with his training after moving away from Harwood so he would be able to take down the criminals in his career, but she knew he was still the weaker of the two of them, and if she let him get beaten, she would never hear the end of it from Emma.

-Megaforce-

Troy struggled against his restraints as the X-Borgs secured him to a wooden chair they had found in the warehouse. As hard as he tried, he couldn't escape, and his morpher was just out of his reach. Vekar was no idiot.

"You won't be going anywhere anytime soon," the Prince assured Troy, who realizing this was true gave up his struggle. He had told his friends he wouldn't be out for long. Surely they would soon come looking for him. Hell, with so many X-Borgs, Bruisers, Vekar, and the missiles, it likely wouldn't be long before they noticed the alien activity. He would have to sit back, be patient, and gather up as much information as he could get.

"So, are you going to launch these all over Harwood?" he asked and gestured with his head to the missile. Vekar laughed, smirked, and typed in a few more keys to the computer for the missiles.

"I may," he smiled as he looked to Troy, "That all depends on the decision you make."

"What decision is that?"

"I have fives missiles, here," Vekar pointed to the large weapons and then turned back to Troy with a malicious smirk, "And five very interesting locations. Surrender for your team and your planet, and this madness can stop."

"If you think Power Rangers are ever going to surrender..."

"Think of the terror, my poor boy," Vekar walked up to Troy and grabbed his jaw in his hand. He smirked again, "All those people, shaking in their boots. Those innocent civilians, dead. The people you care the most about, dead..."

"And leaving them in your hands is a good idea?"

"Better than the destruction I have planned," Vekar nodded. "Imagine it, human. Imagine the fear, the terror. How long will you Earthlings be able to stand it? I have to say, while you have already surprised me with your resistance, I've seen stronger beings fall. You have no idea what's awaiting you if you choose not to surrender."

"I'd rather die."

"Have it your way," Vekar said and suddenly, one of the missiles directly behind him shot off. It ripped through the roof of the warehouse and went up into the sky. Troy gasped, seeing it go, and could only hope that wherever it landed, it wouldn't cause too much destruction, and that it would signal to the other Rangers that there was trouble.

"I thought you'd be more worried," Vekar said as he walked to the launching station and set up the program for the next missile, "That one is going to hit close to home, Burrows."

"What?"

"Or, should I say, Troy Burrows? Son of Carl Daniels and Jennifer Burrows. Adoptive son of Christopher Burrows. Older brother to Ryan Burrows..."

"How do you know this?"

"How long did you think you could hide your identities from me?" Vekar chuckled. "I am a super being. I have technology you humans couldn't even dream of right at my finger tips. I have some of the greatest minds working for me on my ship. I have conquered thousands of galaxies and hundreds of thousands of planets far superior and far more advanced than this one. Finding out what makes you hurt... that was child's play."

"Don't hurt them..."

"Oh, it's too late for them now, red Ranger," Vekar shook his head. "At this time, your parents, and that little baby sister of your are enjoying a nice, relaxing day at home. It's a shame that's got to change."

"You're not getting away with this!"

"I already have," Vekar smiled and pointed to the four remaining missiles, "Jacob Holling. He lived with both his biological parents until a nasty argument led to a divorce. I do believe his mother remarried your deceased biological father. It seems he doesn't speak to her much anymore. It's always rough when a mother's little prince starts searching for his princess. His father on the other hand..."

"No..."

"Don't worry, this one won't fire... yet," Vekar smirked and moved down the row, "Giana Moran. I do believe my brother rid me of her father. Set her on a horrible road for revenge. She wants to avenge her father's death, and seeing as I have not been able to locate my brother on this planet, I believe she may have succeeded. Still, I do not believe the work is done. She still has a mother, whom I understand she would do anything to protect..."

"Leave them out of this!"

"Noah Carver. Something of a child genius, isn't he? Lives at home with both his parents. They've always encouraged him when it comes to his passions, though they have a hard time understanding everything he's getting up to in their... do you call it a garage? Wouldn't that be a shame if one of these missiles ruined that perfect little family?"

"Stop it!"

"Or Emma Goodall. Hasn't she just been reunited with her mother? I do believe it was a rough and painful battle to get to where they are now. A lot of tears were shed, but they are happy together, aren't they? Your friend Emma, she wants a life with her mother, yes? It's a shame, all that hard work could be for nothing if this one missile..."

"My friends will stop you! No one has to get hurt..."

Suddenly, Troy heard something blow up in the distance. It was faint because it was far, but he knew it was the first missile. He knew it had hit its target. He felt his heart sink and couldn't imagine the damage it had done.

"Looks like someone already has," Vekar smiled; proud of himself and his plan while Troy had a nervous stomach, and couldn't shake the feeling that something horrible had just happened. Vekar leaned in closer to him, that sick grin still on his face, "I hope this planet is worth it, Red. Not just for my benefit, but yours as well. Though I doubt you can defeat my forces, if you do, you'll have sacrificed your family for the well being of... well, whatever this world has to offer."


	19. Ground Zero

For a rookie, Jordan managed the fight with the thugs quite well. He had already beaten the first to rush him, though that hadn't exactly been planned. Somewhere along their struggle, the thug had dislocated his shoulder, and Jordan had taken advantage to sweep his legs out from under him and put him on the ground. Reeling in pain, the thug was no longer a major concern for him, and he could jump in to help Gia. The battlefield was now even on both sides, with two fighters each. Unfortunately, at this point, Jordan was feeling more than a little tired, and he wasn't sure how long he could keep doing. He was hoping for another accident for the thugs, but couldn't count on it happening, especially not soon.

Before long, though, something flew past them in the sky. The four of them stopped their fighting just for a second to see what it was. It had been too loud, too fast, and too close to the ground to be a commercial plan. It had to mean trouble. Before anyone could ask after it and before the battle could resume, there was a loud, horrible explosion sound from a few blocks away and the ground trembled. Some nearby car alarms started to sound.

"What the hell…?" one of the thugs cried out and decided not to stick around. Grabbing his injured friend by the arm, he pulled him up to his feet and they started to run. The third one, not wanting to fight the two teens shorthanded, took off behind his friends.

"We'll get you next time, Goodall!"

Jordan put his hands on his knees, doubling over to catch his breath while Gia walked up to him.

"You okay?"

"Yeah. You?"

"Go home, Jordan."

"Whoa, whoa," Jordan looked up and shook his head. "Aren't we going to talk about this? What the hell just happened? Who were those guys? Why did they say…?"

"Go home, Jordan."

"Alright, not answering questions, I see. Not even a thank you for helping out? I personally think I kicked…"

"Jordan, a bomb just went off a few blocks from here. There's trouble. It's going to be dangerous. Go home before you get hurt."

"But…"

"NOW!"

"Geez," Jordan rolled his eyes. He stood up straight, walked a few steps, picked up Gia's morpher and then handed it to her. "Someone took her bitch pills today. First no blessing, now no thanks. What does Emma ever see in you?"

"Teleport."

"Fine," Jordan grumbled and showed Gia he was taking his communicator out of his pocket. Now that he was living with the Rangers, Tensou had prepared both him and Rebecca a communicator that would allow them to stay in touch with their friends and the command center in case there were ever any emergencies. If he wanted to teleport home, all he had to do was call to Tensou.

Gia, seeing he was following her orders, turned suddenly and took off, running straight towards the site where the missile hit and morphing as she went.

-Megaforce-

Troy could feel the skin around his wrists rubbing away as he tried to free himself from the chains. Vekar had already threatened and possibly killed his family. Troy didn't want to give him the chance to finish off the job. He needed to find a way out. He needed to stop the other missiles from blowing up.

"My, my," Vekar said as he watched Troy struggle. "You certainly are having a rough time with this. It seems humans are so much more emotionally attached to one another. I certainly felt a twinge of sadness when I declared my brother dead, but I did not let it affect me to this degree. Is there anything I can get you, red Ranger? A tissue, perhaps, to dry those tears."

"You have no idea what you've done," Troy growled and tried to blink back the tears in his eyes. "When I get out of here, and I will get out, you will pay for this."

"It's… cute," Vekar smirked, "When inferior species believe they can intimidate me. It almost makes me want to keep you as a pet. I could use the entertainment on my ship for those long trips between gala…"

He couldn't finish his thought as an X-Borg flew past him and smashed into a nearby empty crate. Vekar turned to see what had caused this trouble and noticed three of the Rangers had found him, and they had already cleared through most of the X-Borgs and Bruisers he had brought with him to stand guard and protect him.

"What!? You're not supposed to be here!"

"Too late, Vekar!" Jake said, and Troy looked to his teammates curiously, but not because it seemed they were missing a yellow Ranger, but because they were wearing a costume he had never seen before. Not on the keys that Gosei has lined up on the command center walls, and not in his dreams.

"Did you really think you could send off a missile without drawing any attention to yourself?" Noah asked him.

"You can't just barge in like that!" Vekar stomped his feet and seemed to throw a temper tantrum right in front of the Rangers, confusing them slightly. Troy paid no mind to the evil alien's fit and continued to stare at his friends new costume. Emma noticed and, while Vekar was distracted, hurried over to Troy. As she worked on getting him out of the chains she explained to him. "Another little power up from Gosei. A costume of his design."

"He's just creating them, now?"

"They aren't as strong as former Rangers," Emma told him. "They're kind of somewhere between Super and Legendary. They hold their power for longer, though. Just enough time to get you out of here."

Emma managed to break the chains and helped Troy stand up. Meanwhile, Jake had decided to take on Vekar while Noah, having spotted all the missiles, went to the computer to stop the programming. He could see they were set to launch at different times, and they were all going to different locations. He didn't have the time to calculate where exactly, but he was certain the next one was set to land somewhere in Jake's neighbourhood. He only had a few minutes and needed to stop it from going off.

Meanwhile, Jake was doing his best again Vekar, who seemed upset that more Rangers had turned up and wiped out his crew of bodyguards that he didn't seem to want to fight much.

"This wasn't the plan!" Vekar shouted as he blocked a punch from Jake. "You should have run to the explosions! You should be in the city!"

"I've never really liked following rules," Jake said and this time he landed a blow to Vekar's face. The Prince stumbled backwards and before he could regain his composure he was struck again. Enraged, he tried to turn the fight around but he was suddenly met with the pink and red Rangers. Seeing he was outnumbered and he no longer had foot soldiers to cover him, he disappeared, likely to head back to his ship.

"I've got it!" Noah called out and the three turned around to see what had gotten him excited. They saw the missiles were retreating into a bunker below ground and assumed that meant he had successfully disarmed them. "No one else has to get hurt today. Those missiles can never be launched."

"Good work, Noah," Jake applauded his best friend's work and Emma walked over to give the blue Ranger a pat on the back. Meanwhile, Troy had other another idea. He took off, on foot, and ran from the warehouse.

-Megaforce-

Shortly after hearing the blast, Gia made it to ground zero and had a quick look around. She knew she was in Troy's neighbourhood, and judging by her surroundings she assumed that the debris she was standing on was what used to his house. It had been destroyed by the explosion and left nothing standing. The houses next to it were in a similar, but better state, but the further out she looked, the better off things look.

Still, her heart dropped as she hoped the Burrows family had gone for a walk. She couldn't imagine how any of them would survive an attack like this. Still fully morphed, she started to dig. She didn't want to find anything, but she couldn't just walk away.

She didn't need to dig far to find her first victim. After pulling him out from the rubble it was quite clear Mr. Burrows was already dead. His whole body was badly burned, and it looked like he had walked through the fire. She could barely recognize him, but she knew. She just knew. She tapped his cheek and tried to wake him. She tried anything she could to bring him back, but she knew he was gone.

"Dammit! C'mon, Mr. Burrows. Don't do this."

She was grateful she had her helmet covering her face as a few tears slipped down her cheeks. She was sure she would have to break the news to Troy and Rebecca, and it wasn't going to be easy. But she held on to hope that this would be the only bad news she had to deliver. Knowing he was dead, she had to lay Mr. Burrows down. She did so gently and moved on.

Generally, when she visited the Burrow home, she found Mrs. Burrows in the kitchen. If she wasn't preparing a meal for her husband or son, she was getting a bottle or baby food ready for Ryan, or cleaning up, on working on something on her computer at the table. Going by memory, Gia walked to the space where the kitchen had been and started to dig. Before long, she found a hand. She dug it up and was so glad to find it was attached to a body. She gently pulled Mrs. Burrows out from the rubble.

It was a hard sight to stomach. Mrs. Burrows was in no better shape than her husband, but at least he had been spared of his suffering by death. Mrs. Burrows was conscious, even if just barely, and knew what was going on. Seeing the yellow Ranger had come to help, only one thought had come to mind.

"I have a daughter…"

Gia knew, and while she hadn't found Ryan yet she didn't want to give up anything that would upset the dying woman.

"I know. It's gonna be okay. I'll do what I can."

"She's got no one," Mrs. Burrows whispered. "If you find her…"

"She'll be safe, I promise," Gia said.

Mrs. Burrows forced a smile and then looked like she wanted to say something but the words never passed her lips. She fell completely limp in Gia's arms, and after a few attempts at reviving her, Gia knew she too was gone. She lay her down gently and continued with her search. She had no idea about the neighbours. There was only one other person she wanted to look for, and knowing Ryan had been home, Gia was determined to find her.

She dug up as much as she could of the rubble from the kitchen but she couldn't find the baby. She started to dig through the other parts of the house, clearing away as many pieces as she could under she heard a cry. She listened closely and followed the sound until she found it. Buried under a table that had cracked in half, forming a bit of a triangular shelter, was Ryan. She was at the very edge of the house, which seemed to have increased her chances of survival compared to her parents, who Gia had found closer to the middle. Gia picked up the screaming baby and cradled her gently while at the same time removing her helmet so at the very least Ryan could recognize a friendly face. Ryan had some cuts and bruises and a few very minor burns, but was much better off than her parents, who had already both passed away.

"C'mon, kid, don't cry," Gia whispered softly and rocked the little girl gently to soothe her. "I know it's sad. I know it hurts, but it's not all lost. Your brother and sister missed you. You remember Rebecca and Troy. They'll be so happy to see you're okay."

Gia wasn't sure it if was the rocking, or her mention of Rebecca's and Troy's names, but Ryan seemed to settle a little. There was still some pain and fear in her young eyes, but she looked up at Gia hopefully. The yellow Ranger smiled and nodded her head.

"Let's go home. Let's go see them."

Keeping the baby close to her chest, Gia teleported to the command center.

Minutes later, Troy, with the others just a few steps behind, appeared at the house. Troy saw his parents had both already been dug up and knew right away they were dead. His heart caught in his throat and he couldn't breathe, but he couldn't stop there and break down. There was one more person to find.

"Ryan!"

"Troy," Emma gently grabbed his arm but he pulled away from her.

"Ryan!"

"Troy, I can hear sirens. We have to go!" Jake called him this time and tried to grab him. Troy shook his head.

"Ryan!"


	20. Blessing

Rebecca knew her brother faced death and danger on a regular basis. However, anytime the morphers beeped or Gosei sent the Rangers into action, she could feel her entire body fill with worry. This time was no exception and the entire time the Rangers were gone to help Troy she paced the floor of the command center and hoped to see him come home.

To make matters worse, she knew that the missile had hit close to home. Gosei said he had no updates for her, but she was sure he was lying to her. She was sure that something had happened to the people she had only recently started to look to as parents. Her eyes filled with tears so much so that she could barely see where she was pacing and nearly tripped over Tensou a handful of times before Jordan came home and held her.

It was then she hear someone teleport into the command center. She looked up, hopeful to see her brother and that at the very least he was alright. She found herself disappointed, relieved, thrilled, and horrified all at once when she saw Ryan. She pulled away from Jordan and took her little sister in her arms, held her tight and kissed her cheeks, happy to see her alive.

"Let me have a look at her," Tensou said and held out his arms. Rebecca didn't want to let the baby go. She knew the missile had hit home. She knew it was a miracle Ryan was still alive. She didn't want to let that go for fear she would lose everything, but she couldn't let Ryan go unexamined after surviving a missile crash. She walked with Tensou to the other room so they could examine the baby together.

Meanwhile, Gia powered down from her Ranger suit and then walked over to the kitchen table, where Tensou had left out a first aid kit. She grabbed a cloth and started to wipe away what she could of the dirt, sweat and blood that had stuck to her both from her fight in the alley and from trying to dig out Troy's family. As she did that, Jordan walked over to her.

"I saved your butt out there…"

"Thank you," Gia looked up at him and her eyes said it all. She was sincere. She meant it. There was no anger, no jokes, no teasing, no sarcastic comments. Jordan was a little taken aback.

"Wait, what?" Jordan frowned. "Hold on. What happened to earlier? You yelling at me to go, barely giving me the time of day after…"

"In spite of the fact that you could have really gotten hurt," Gia said, "What you did was really brave, and you did kind of… help me out."

"Oh, this is killing you, isn't it?"

"Shut up, butt-face. This might only ever happen once, so don't ruin it for yourself, got it?"

"Right… so, uh, how does this work?"

"I talk; you nod your head and agree."

"Oh, so like normal. I got this."

Gia rolled her eyes and the put her hands on Jordan's shoulders and forced herself to look him in the eyes, "I didn't have time after that fight to thank you. A missile had just gone off and I needed to go. You were pretty brave to jump in and... in hindsight... I couldn't have done it without you."

"You're welcome," Jordan smiled and then looked down at his knuckles, "I guess I'll be wearing a badge of honour for the next little while. Think Emma's going to freak?"

"Oh, absolutely," Gia nodded her head. "You and me, alone, facing off three thugs that left me feeling a little intimidated? Freak might be an understatement."

"So... does this mean I'm in your good books, finally? Have I jumped through enough hoops? Have I shown you that I'll make a great husband..."

"Jordan, that was never in question," Gia shook her head. "I'm not holding back on my blessing because I don't think you're a good enough guy."

"So... what, then? You're just being you?"

"You walk into town, beg Emma to stay, and use a marriage proposal to convince her you're willing to take the risk? Emma may be simple, but that doesn't mean she hasn't imagined the perfect romantic proposal. You put no effort into it. That proposal was all about you. It was just so that you could stick around here. Just so you could get what you wanted out of it. Emma's always dreamed of a romantic night under the stars, a picnic dinner, the man of her dreams by her side. I mean, it's on that wish list of hers. Believe it or not, that's not just about saving the planet and taking pictures of rare and interesting species."

"I... I guess I could have done a little better than her teacher's basement command center," Jordan scratched the back of his neck nervously.

"Emma might be happy settling for less than perfect because a life with you is all that matters, but that doesn't mean she doesn't deserve something special. I'm sure you know exactly how shitty her life has been recently. And with that guy calling me Goodall in the alley, I have a feeling it's about to get a lot worse."

"So you did hear that?"

"Emma deserves one night. I'm tired of seeing her draw the short straw. I'm tired of watching her settle for second best. And I'm damn tired of watching her hopes and dreams slip away little by little. Give her one night. Give her everything she's ever wanted and show her this fight is far from over."

Jordan nodded his head and then, seeing Gia was close to tears, he dared himself to put his arms around her and hold her comfortingly. Gia didn't push away or punch him. She didn't taunt, tease or annoy him. She put her arms around his neck gently and hugged him.

"Give her one night, and you have my blessing. If you can do this for her, I'll be your freaking best man."

Jordan chuckled. He pulled away to smile at the yellow Ranger, "I think you're better off as maid of honour, but I appreciate the sentiment. Thanks, Gia."

Gia smiled in return and then punched him in the chest. As Jordan let out a groan her smile slipped into a threatening smirk.

"Tell anyone what just happened here and you'll be looking at adopting those kids you were talking about before. Got it?"

"Yeah, got it," Jordan nodded and rubbed his chest. "Geez, you can't ever just let a moment go, can you?"

Gia shook her head and, at that moment the other Rangers walked into the command center. At least, Jake, Noah, and Emma were walking. Troy was stomping in and when he got to his red console he kicked it over. Jordan retreated to the kitchen area to get out of the team's hairs while Gia walked up to Troy. She put a hand on his shoulder but he pushed her away.

"I want him dead!" he suddenly shouted to Gosei. "I know you've got something. I know you've got some weapon or new suit or a power up hidden behind that ridiculous face of yours. Give it to me! He needs to pay!"

"Troy..."

"He killed them, Gia!" Troy shouted to the yellow Ranger, who had to take a step back out of fear of Troy taking his anger out on her. The red Ranger didn't seem to notice. Instead, he kicked over Noah's console. "By the time I got there, they were dead! My mom, my dad... I couldn't even find Ryan!"

"Vekar launched a missile right to Troy's..."

"I know," Gia interrupted Noah and looked to Troy. The red Ranger turned to her in a rage.

"You knew? You mean this whole time you knew, and you did nothing..."

"Troy..."

"Was your date with Jordan really that important? A date you didn't want to fucking go on in the first place? My parents are dead, Gia! They're dead!"

"I know," Gia said and grabbed Troy's arms. He tried to shrug and then push her away but she didn't let him go. "Jordan and I were just a couple of blocks down. We heard the explosion and I went to check it out. I dug up your parents. I found Ryan."

"You... you..."

"Your dad was dead before I got there," Gia told him calmly. "Your mother barely had a few minutes. I'm sorry, Troy."

Troy grabbed his hair in his hands and dropped to his knees on the ground. Gia knelt beside him.

"I know it hurts," she told him. "Believe me; no one knows it more than me. But... it's not all lost. I found Ryan. She's here. She's okay."

"She... she..."

"Tensou and Rebecca are with her right now in the other room," Gia didn't need to say more. Troy jumped up and hurried to find his sisters and Tensou.


	21. Trying To Move On

Troy couldn't believe what he was holding in his arms. Only a few hours ago he had believed his family was dead. Prince Vekar had launched a missile straight for his home with the intention of killing his family. Troy hadn't been able to calm himself down since; first worried about his parents' and Ryan's safety, and then again once he saw the state of his house as well as his parents' burned, dead bodies lying in the rubble. When he saw them dead he thought for sure he had lost his baby sister to, and the weight of her death was too much to bear. He had been worried about her from the moment his parents told him they were expecting her. He had been worried about the danger she faced simply because she was his little sister. He couldn't imagine asking someone so young, so innocent, and so pure to get involved with the war he faced, and had promised her, right from the moment he first saw her, that he would keep her safe. The moments between her believed death and finding out she had indeed survived had wracked him with guilt, shame, and fear he would never shake.

As he cradled the young baby in his arms, gently rocking her while she slept peacefully, he couldn't stop thanking any being or spirit that had been watching over her. He was so grateful she hadn't been badly hurt, and so grateful he would have a second chance to protect her.

This time, he couldn't afford to let her down. With their parents out of the picture, it would be up to him to raise her. As terrified as he was at the thought of bringing up a child, he was willing to do anything it took to give her the life she deserved.

Prince Vekar had made his biggest mistake.

A light knock on the door stirred Troy from his thoughts. He looked up from his youngest sister only to find Rebecca poking her head into the room. Gently, Troy kissed Ryan's forehead and then set her down in the crib Tensou had built quickly for her. When Ryan was settled, Troy walked over to Rebecca and held her in his arms.

"It's going to be okay," he whispered and could feel her tears soaking through his shirt. He wanted to cry too, but for now he had to look after his sisters. Both of them had been robbed of their deserved happy families, and neither had done anything to earn such a harsh and permanent punishment.

"It's not fair," Rebecca muttered. "How is this fair? How is this going to be okay? When dad died... I thought... I mean... at least I had them... At least I still had people who... who..."

"I'm still here," Troy promised her and looked to her with a soft smile. Rebecca shook her head and wiped her nose on her sleeve.

"What if he gets you too!" she cried and then looked down at his wrists; where his skin had been rubbed off in his struggle to free himself from Vekar's chains. "I don't want to be alone! I can't do it..."

"I'm not going anywhere..."

"Yeah, that's what they said..." Rebecca sniffed and shook her head again. "Why does Vekar have to be such a... such a jerk? Your... your parents didn't deserve this. And what about Ryan? How is that fair?"

"It's not."

"It shouldn't be allowed."

"Aliens don't play by the rules, Rebecca."

"So then how can you tell me everything's going to be okay?" Rebecca cried and stomped her foot. "This isn't fair! This isn't right! I don't want to be alone!"

"You'll never be alone," Troy pulled his sister back into his arms and kissed the top of her head. "I'm still here. I'll always be here. Vekar's never going to take me away."

"I want to believe that," Rebecca whispered. "I... I wish I could believe that. I wish... I wish everything was good again. I wish we could go back just a couple of months. Back when we thought we won and life was good. Back when..."

"It was easy?"

"I don't want to be an orphan. I don't want Ryan or you to be an orphan because of that..."

"Vekar's going to pay..."

"No!" Rebecca stomped her foot again. "No! You can't go after him. You can't do like what Gia did with Vrak! She's lucky to be alive and I don't want to lose you."

"Becca, you're not going to..."

"Promise me!" Rebecca cried and looked to him tearfully and painfully. Troy's heart broke in two as soon as he looked into her eyes. "Promise me, and promise Ryan you're not going to let this get to you. Promise you're not going to do something stupid like run off and fight him on your own. Promise you're not going to push his buttons or try and get even or obsess yourself with beating him. I need you. Ryan needs you..."

"I promise," Troy grabbed her arms and looked at her with a confident smile. "I'm not going anywhere."

"You better not," Rebecca hugged him again. Troy squeezed her lovingly before pulling away. Rebecca looked up. "What?"

"One favour..."

"What?"

"How much do you know about babies?"

"I adopted mine out. How much does that tell you?" Rebecca said and then looked down at Ryan's crib. "I guess it's too late for that now."

Troy lightly punched her arm, "Ryan's not going anywhere. I'm just asking because... well... I usually just did what mom told me to do."

"Ditto," Rebecca sighed. "Good luck, Ryan. You're gonna need it."

At that moment, there was a knock on the door. The two siblings turned and saw Gia walking in quietly.

"Hey," she whispered and smiled. "Is everything okay in here?"

"We're managing," Troy said and put his arm around Rebecca. "We'll be okay."

"You probably don't believe me, but it gets easier."

"We don't," Rebecca shook her head.

"I... I am here for you, if you ever need to talk," Gia said. "I know I wasn't exactly the most stable person after dad died but... I kind of went through all the motions so..."

"We'll let you know," Troy promised. Gia nodded her head but seemed hesitant to leave. Then she pulled her hand out from behind her back, revealing she had been holding on to LT, the stuffed tiger her mother had given her to replace the one Jake had originally bought for her.

"She can have it," she pointed to Ryan in the crib. "I had a stuffed penguin growing up that I loved and Emma kept her bear in her bed until... around the time she started dating Jordan, actually. Don't tell her I told you. She'd kill me."

"You're giving up Tigger?"

"Little Tigger," Gia nodded her head and set the toy tiger in the crib with the baby. "But yeah. It's just a stupid toy and kids love them so..."

"Gia, you don't have to..."

"Nothing was left. Ryan's teddy bear or blanket or whatever she loved is gone. She should at least have something soft and warm. Besides, I still have dad's jacket, and mom's somewhere safe and sound... at least for now. I... I don't need it."

"Are you..."

"Positive," Gia nodded her head and then quickly turned to leave, though Troy and Rebecca didn't fail to see the little tear slip down her cheek just before she was gone. They looked to each other, and then down in the crib. Ryan had already grabbed hold of the tiger's tail with her little hand.


	22. Midnight Training

Rebecca couldn't sleep. She could barely close hers without thoughts of the Burrows death creeping into her mind. With a heavy sigh she sat up, threw away her blankets and crawled out of bed. She stepped quietly out of the room and walked out of the command center. She sat along the edge of the cliff and looked out at the ocean. A couple tears rolled down her cheeks. She couldn't believe she had lost another set of parents and couldn't help but feel like she was destined to live her life alone.

She tried to suppress her sobs. She didn't want to cry. She had done enough of that before going to bed. As she tried to hold back her tears and tried to enjoy the silence she couldn't help but hear a grunting noise. It didn't sound like it belonged to the aliens. It sounded human. She got up and made her way down the trail that led to the command center. Just a little ways off the ground was flat, making it perfect for training. The Rangers were there every morning to practice their martial arts and their new weapons.

"Hello?" she called as she stepped on the patch of grass and saw the figure of one of the boys moving, training with a sword. She didn't want to get too close. A near-incident the day before had taught her to stay away from her friends when they were training to avoid injury. She called out again, "Hello...?"

He must have heard her. He lowered his sword and turned to her. Rebecca could finally make out his face, "Noah? What are you doing up?"

"Training," Noah answered and gestured to the sword, "What? You think I just suddenly knew how to fight with this thing?"

"Do you come out here every night?"

"Most," Noah nodded his head. He picked up his water bottle and drank from him as Rebecca approached him.

"When do you sleep?"

"I get a few hours before and after training," Noah said. "It's enough. Besides, sleeping isn't going to stop the Armada."

"Don't you train enough in the mornings?"

"The others might," Noah answered and looked down at his sword with a quick sigh. "I need to do better."

"What do you mean? You're a freaking Power Ranger. How is that not good enough?"

"It's obviously not," Noah shook his head. "Vekar proved today he's not going to hold back. Being the brains may have been helpful against the Warstar, but Vekar's got a lot of muscle. If I can't keep up, I'm letting the whole team down."

"You have muscles," Rebecca said. "You're a lot more muscular than in Emma's earlier pictures."

"I'm still... I just, I need to improve. I need to do better. You're only as strong as your weakest link and I know..."

"You're not the weakest link. No one is."

"Troy, Jake, Emma, and Gia are all athletic," Noah said. "They do sports or work out, or there's just... good. I can't beat any of them in training. I always need their help in battle because I'm too weak to do something."

"You disarmed those missiles," Rebecca said. Noah looked down at her and could see she was holding back her tears. He regretted bringing up his concerns with her. He regretted saying anything. She was right, he was a Power Ranger. Even if he wasn't the strongest or the fastest, at least there was something he could do. He couldn't imagine what it was like to sit on the sidelines and hope. He couldn't imagine what it was like to feel helpless and weak.

"I'm sorry I wasn't faster," he put his arms around her. "If I had gotten there sooner, I could have stopped that missile going off and..."

"You did your best. That's all anyone can ask for. Besides, you stopped it being worse. You and the other still have your parents. That's good."

"Rebecca..."

"No, really, it's not your fault," Rebecca said and took one of Noah's swords off his hands. She held it up, "So... wanna show me what you've learned?"

"Troy doesn't want you getting involved with this Ranger business."

"Jordan gets to train, why can't I? Vekar's proven he's not shy about making this personal. What if he comes after me?"

"Sword training isn't easy."

"At least show me a few moves. Help me take my mind off today a little bit. Show me how much more awesome you are."

"I'm not awesome."

"You're pretty awesome to me," Rebecca smiled. "You know, at the toy store, there's a section that's just filled with blue Ranger stuff. Action figures, backpacks, cards, stuffed toys, Megablocks..."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I can take you tomorrow," Rebecca offered. "I can show you you're not the weakest link. The team would be dead without you."

"I don't believe that."

"Believe it. Now come on, show me some cool moves. How do you use this thing?" Rebecca swung the sword through the air. "Die, X-Borgs! No one likes you!"

"Rebecca..."

"Oh, right. I should focus my anger on defeating Vekar. Hiya! You stupid alien! I cut off your head! Don't mess with my parents!"


	23. The Blue Ranger's Strength

_Author's Note: Sorry for the sporadic updates. When my computer broke down last week it was questionable whether or not I would get my files (stories) back. Seeing as I had written ahead, I needed to have a back-up plan in case all those chapters were lost and... what do you know, I preferred the back up plan. I've been trying to catch up/keep up since. I hope the chapters are worth the wait, though I can tell from the many reviews that they are. To thank you all for your patience, I'm giving out another **deleted scene**. Same rules as always!_

* * *

She thought a trip to the toy store would cheer him up because she had been many times and knew the blue Ranger toys were in high demand. Though she collected the red and yellow toys and red was the top selling of all the colours, blue was not very far behind. Hundreds of young boys looked up to the blue Ranger, and Noah was an inspiration to many kids.

"See?" Rebecca smiled as she walked up to the cashier at the front. While she made a stop at the toy store, Troy had asked her to pick up some things for Ryan. Unfortunately, when their home blew up, Ryan had lost everything from her parents to her toys, and the command center was well equipped, but it didn't have anything to keep a growing baby busy. As Rebecca dumped some baby toys, and a few new action figures of her friends, on the counter she looked to Noah, "The blue Ranger's just as amazing as all the other ones, even if he isn't as good a fighter. He gets the job done, and it's really easy to see that he's always there to help his teammates. I'll bet, Red, Green, Pink, and Yellow wouldn't be where they are now without Blue."

"You're just saying that."

"The blue Ranger is my favourite," the cashier said as she couldn't help but overhear the conversation between the two. "I've got a mega crush on him... pun intended."

"Oh... yeah," Rebecca nodded her head and then pulled Noah back a step, "I remember her from last time I was here... Maybe this is just me, but I don't trust the girls who think Ranger boys are hot without actually seeing them."

"Yeah," the cashier rolled her eyes. Evidently, she had overheard Rebecca once again, "Like there's anything else left to see. Spandex doesn't exactly leave a lot to the imagination, you know."

"And what if the blue Ranger's got a giant mole in the middle of his face?"

"He saves lives," the cashier answered Rebecca. "Besides, I've done my research, and it turns out, the blue Ranger is a huge brainiac. Rumour has it; he comes up with all the new weapons the Rangers get. And, if you study all the news footage, he's totally buffed up from when he first turned up. The blue Ranger is living proof that just because you're smart, that doesn't mean you're a loser. I'll bet, if he puts his mind to it, he could be the best of all the Rangers."

"You really think that?" Noah asked. The cashier nodded her head and smiled as she picked up one of the blue Ranger toys Rebecca had bought for Ryan.

"I was always picked last in gym class," she said. "I was made fun of my whole life because I wore glasses and if I ran too much, my asthma would act up. The blue Ranger showed me that I can do anything I set my mind too. I don't have to choose between smart or sporty. I can do both."

She packed up the toys in a plastic bag and then looked to Noah and Rebecca, "That'll be thirty-four eighty two."

Rebecca started to dig around her bag, but Noah stepped up to the register to pay.

"It's alright, Becca. I've got this one."

Rebecca nodded her head, and seeing the smile on Noah's face she knew her trip to the toy store had worked. Though she didn't want to discourage him from training hard, she hoped she had convinced him not to beat himself up because of his self-claimed weaknesses. He would only wear himself out, and disappoint his teammates if he didn't believe in himself a little more.

She stepped out of the store, carrying the bags with the Ranger toys for Ryan, as well as a few baby toys. As she tried to walk to the bench to sit down, one of the bags with the baby toys broke, and everything inside spilled on the sidewalk. As she grumbled about having to juggle all her bags, a few teenagers walking by looked to her. They saw she was picking up all the baby toys and started to snicker. They walked right past Noah as he came out of the toy store.

"Sluts get what sluts deserve," one whispered to the other. "I'm so glad I know how to use birth control."

The girls weren't as subtle as they thought. Noah had heard them, and Rebecca caught a few keywords. She looked up from repacking her bags and saw the girls were staring at her. She knew they were talking about her. She knew what they were thinking. She was about to shrug it off when Noah stepped in.

"Hey, she's looking after her little sister. Leave her alone."

"Yeah, sure," one of the girls rolled her eyes and the two of them walked off, muttering to each other, "I'll bet he's the baby daddy."

"She's not a..."

"Noah," Rebecca had finished packing up the toys and grabbed his arm. She looked up at him with a smile, "Relax. It's fine."

"Fine? I can talk to them..."

"You don't have to. Besides, they aren't completely off the mark. Remember what I looked like when we first met? This, but with a fat stomach, horrible mood swings, and stretch marks I still can't get rid of."

"I... Yeah, but they don't. You're not who they think you are."

"And what are the odds I'm ever going to see them again?" Rebecca shrugged her shoulders. "I spent about three months of my pregnancy very visibly pregnant. You should have heard what people said about me then. I can handle being called a slut, especially when I'm in a better place now."

"Better place?" Noah asked her with a sympathetic look. "Becca, I don't mean to bring you down but... you don't have to sugar coat what happened to your parents. Any of them. This is hard for you. The last thing you need to be called is a slut."

Rebecca looked down at her bags, "That is hard."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"It won't bring them back," Rebecca shook her head. "Besides, I am still in a better place than I was a year ago. I've made peace with what happened to mom. Dad... well, he can't hurt me anymore, and before they died, the Burrows taught me a lot about family and responsibility. And I've still got Troy, Ryan, and you and the others by my side. Sometimes it's hard, but it could be, and has been a lot worse."

"You're handling this really well," Noah told her. "I'd be in pieces if I lost both my parents. I don't know how you managed it twice."

"Really good friends," Rebecca shrugged. "But we're not here to talk about my problems. You're my excuse not to think about that. So, did today's trip show you what I think it showed you?"

Noah took some of the heavy bags out of Rebecca's hands as they walked down the sidewalk, "I guess I have been training pretty hard this past year. I mean, I'm not the guy I used to be. A little over a year ago, I was the dweeb whose legs cramped up because he sat at his computer all day. Unless one of my projects involved me going outside, I usually never left the school computer lab or my lab at home, and whenever someone tried to mess me up, I usually ran the other way."

"And now...?" Rebecca pressed him. "Come on, Carver; tell me how things got better."

"Now, when my legs cramp, it's usually because I've been working out for hours without rest. When I'm working on the computer, I'm doing research on the generations of Rangers that came before me to help my team be at their best in battle. And I'm no longer running from people who try to put me down, I'm standing up for myself and the world against monsters. I guess... I guess I am pretty awesome."

"Whoa, whoah," Rebecca stopped and put her hands up. "Only one person is awesome, and that's me. But... I guess you are a pretty close second... if you exclude Troy and Gia... just because they are my favourites... Although it's nothing personal. Troy's just my brother and Gia and I have a special bond. She's saved me. I've saved her. You wouldn't understand."

Noah gently nudged Rebecca, "So I'm the fourth most awesome person?"

"If we're talking people in general, yeah," Rebecca smirked. "But you're so focused on Rangers, and since I can't be a Ranger, that puts you third."

"I've never been on the podium before," Noah smirked. "Bronze seems pretty good."

"In Ranger standings. You're fourth in human standings. But that's still pretty good. That still puts you in front of Jake, Emma, Jordan, and Ryan... though that's not saying much. She's just a baby."

"Are you trying to cheer me up or put me down?" Noah said.

"I'm being realistic. You are pretty amazing, though. As a Ranger and a person. Don't you ever doubt yourself again? There's no need to sneak off in the middle of the night to train. You're not... You're a pretty tough guy, Noah."

"Thanks, Rebecca," Noah smiled. He shifted the weight of the bags around in his hands then suddenly heard a cry. He looked down the sidewalk and saw people running in panic towards him. He knew what that meant, but before he could tell Rebecca to seek cover, a new alien was standing before them both. Behind him was a group of X-Borgs.

"Troy's gonna be so pissed," Rebecca muttered as Noah stepped in front of her to keep her protected. "He hates it when I get caught up in this stuff."

"Take the bags and go," Noah said as he passed off their shopping bags to Rebecca. She nodded her head and was just about to run off when she saw more X-Borgs appeared and they had her and Noah surrounded. She couldn't get past them, not without getting hurt, and knew her safest bet was to stick close to Noah. She only hoped her pep talk with him had worked, and she was right about his strength as a Ranger. Until the others showed up, he was her only hope.

"Stop right there!" Noah called out to the monster, who turned to him and Rebecca and seemed to scoff.

"And who are you, exactly?"

"I'm the blue Ranger!" Noah said, "and I'm about to shut you down!"

"The Blue Ranger?" the monster chuckled and drew what looked a lot like a sword to Rebecca. She could only hope it was just that, and not some insanely powerful alien weapon. "Finally, the challenge I've been seeking."

"Rebecca! Get out of here!"

Rebecca turned around as she heard her brother's voice and she breathed a sigh of relief, which Noah heard. He turned around and saw his teammates had come to help him.

"You hide behind backup?" the monster laughed at him, and Noah could feel his blood boiling. This was his chance to prove to himself, the others, and the world that the faith they put in him was not misplaced. He could defeat this alien on his own, and he wouldn't need his teammates to step in and help him. He was no longer the scrawny, geeky, untrained kid that Gosei had first recruited, and he wasn't just the brains of the Ranger team. He had a lot more to offer.

"Good luck, Noah," Rebecca whispered, and took advantage of her friends' arrival to find somewhere safe to hide out while they battled. Noah watched her run and scoffed. He wouldn't need luck. He could do this on his own.

"Ready guys?" Troy called out as they all pulled out their morphers, "It's morphin time!"

Noah morphed and then rushed past all the X-Borgs, leaving them to his teammates as he took on the alien by himself. He had his blaster at his side, but for far too long he had relied on long range weapons. He had gotten between with his sword since he had been given his Super Mode. He wanted to show off to his friends.

He slashed at the alien, who responded by blocking the attack with his own sword. Noah, though, was ready for a real fight, and didn't let that get to him. He fought back, matching each of the alien's swings with his own. He got so caught up in the battle; he failed to realize he was on his own. His friends were far off, still dealing with the X-Borgs while his fight with the alien has moved to a building that had been evacuated.

"You are doing well, blue Ranger," the alien commented. "I enjoy a challenge. Without it, victory means nothing!"

"Then get ready for the challenge of your life!" Noah answered but was quickly knocked off his feet by a surprise kick to the stomach. As he hit the ground, just in front of the reception desk, he failed to notice Rebecca had chosen this building to take cover in. She poked her head out over the top of the desk and watched the battle unfold.

As she watched Noah, she wasn't disappointed. He was just as strong a Ranger as she knew he was, and given he was facing an unknown alien without the help of his friends, he was going quite well. She could only hope the others would make it in time to help out. Noah was doing well, but it was clear he was no match for the alien who seemed to be holding back.

Suddenly, the power went out in the building and the alien's body started to glow. Noah stood in confusion as the alien lifted his sword.

"Blade of infinity!" he called out, and before Noah or Rebecca could guess what that meant or what the alien planned to do with his attack, hundreds of blades appeared in the air and were shot straight at Noah. Rebecca gasped loudly. She was directly behind the blue Ranger and right in the line of fire. She retreated back under the desk and though she doubted it could, she prayed it would offer her enough shelter.

Noah could barely keep up with all the blades. While many of them did miss, an uncomfortable amount came right at him. He managed to block most of them with his sword, but he didn't see the final one coming. Just when he thought he had deflected or dodged them all, the alien's own sword struck him in the chest. Noah felt the stab even through his suit and dropped to his knees as he was forced to power down, but that wasn't the worst of it. The desk behind him had been torn apart in the attack and he heard a cry. He turned around and saw Rebecca pressed right up against the wall. More than half the blades the alien had thrown at him were either stuck in the ground or on the wall around her, with one having grazed the side of her cheek. Had it come any closer, it would have caused a much more serious, possibly fatal injury.

"Giving up so soon?" the alien laughed and raised his sword. He was about to take a step closer to Noah to finish him off when the other four Rangers ran into the building. Emma, Jake, and Gia stood before Noah protectively. Troy spotted his sister up against the wall, surrounded by sharp blades and ran to her stand between her, Noah, and the alien.

"Looks like this fight is over," the alien said. He put his sword away and turned to leave. "I'll destroy you all later when it's your turn."

"Next time, you'll be up against all five of us!" Gia called after him. "Let's see how tough you are then!"

"No," the alien shook his head. "The blue Ranger and I will finish our duel. It would be over already if it weren't for your friends. Don't worry, they'll pay for their intrusion, once I'm done with you. I'll be on the beach tomorrow. Come alone."

Noah sat up and watched the alien walk off as he tried to ponder what had happened and where he had gone wrong. He knew he had the strength to stop the alien. He knew he could handle a fight on his own.

"Buddy, you okay?" Jake knelt next to him and put his hand on his shoulder. Noah shrugged it off.

"I'm fine."

"Don't let him get to you. You don't have to face him alone. We're a team..."

"I can, and I will," Noah pushed himself up to his feet and tried to walk off. Before he could leave the building, Troy caught his arm and pulled him back aggressively.

"What the hell was that?" he shouted, his face red with rage. Noah frowned.

"I'm sorry. I won't let it happen again..."

"It shouldn't have happened once! What the hell were you thinking, taking off like that? Do you have any idea how stupid that was?"

"I could handle him..."

"Obviously not!" Troy shouted. "You abandoned us – your teammates. You put yourself in danger by facing an alien without our help. You put my sister in danger!"

"I didn't know she was there," Noah frowned. "Look, I'm sorry, but..."

"You stay with the team. We fight together, and we keep the fight on the battle field. No one goes off alone. You can't take on an alien by yourself!"

"Troy..."

"End of conversation," Troy shot him down and turned around in a huff as he walked back over to Rebecca and took his sister in his arms. He gave her a tight hug and then took another look at her cheek. Fortunately, it was only a superficial cut, but he knew it could have been a lot worse. Then, without warning, he teleported them both out.

"Noah..." Emma called to the blue Ranger but he shook his head. Troy was wrong. His friends, who thought he needed their help and their protection, they were wrong too. He would, and he could defeat the alien.

He would just need to train harder.


	24. Think It Through

When Troy arrived at the command center, he went straight for the first aid kit. However, despite his aches and pains from his fight against the X-Borgs, treating his own injuries was the furthest thing from his mind. He grabbed a cotton ball soaked in antiseptic and started to clean the cut on Rebecca's cheek. She pulled away.

"Ow! Troy, that stings."

"Sorry. Just let me clean it..."

"It's just a cut. I'll be okay."

"I'm not taking any risks," Troy shook his head and grabbed Rebecca's face so he could clean up her cut. "Hold still. I won't take long. It doesn't look like it needs stitches."

"I'm just spooked," Rebecca insisted, but knew better than to try and pull away from Troy. "Relax, it's not going to kill me."

"Don't even joke about that," Troy frowned. "By the way, next time, use the communicator Tensou gave you. In a fight, the command center is the safest place for you."

"Sorry," Rebecca said and reached into her pocket. She pulled out the small communicator, "I'm not used to having it."

"You might want to get used to it," Jordan said as he came over with a box of bandaids, "You know, before you get chopped up into little pieces by that alien."

"This isn't funny," Troy growled. He tossed away the cotton ball and picked out a bandaid for his sister. He pressed it on her cheek and then hugged her again. "I'm just glad you're safe."

"Me too," Rebecca said and held her brother tight. After a while she said in his ear, "But you were a little hard on Noah back there."

"What he did was reckless..."

"He didn't know I was there," Rebecca said. "And he did his best. Given where he started, that was pretty impressive..."

"Rebecca, this isn't a show," Troy shook his head. "Noah took off from the fight. He left the others and me to fend for ourselves..."

"I'd hardly call four Rangers against some X-Borgs having to fend for yourselves."

"Bruisers, maybe," Jordan chuckled from the couch. Troy shot them both a look.

"Look, I'm not even all that pissed about what happened to you, Becca," Troy said. "Well... a part of me is, but that's... that's my problem."

"Troy..."

"I expected better from him," Troy said. "Noah's... he's the last person I'd expect to challenge an alien, especially one we know nothing about, all alone like that. He could have been seriously hurt. That monster was right! If we hadn't of turned up, Noah might not have survived!"

"He got a little caught up, I guess," Rebecca looked down at her hands. "Troy, I couldn't sleep last night. When I went to get some fresh air I found Noah training by himself. He's trying to get better. He's worried he's letting the team down."

"Don't make excuses for him," Troy shook his head. "He put himself in danger. He could have gotten himself killed. He never would have been outmatched like that if he had stayed with us, and you never would have been caught in the middle of that fight if he hadn't of taken off alone. What he did was reckless."

"Well... when you put it that way..." Rebecca sighed. "I can talk to him..."

"Rebecca..."

"I kind of talked him up," Rebecca said. "He was feeling bad about himself so I gave him a bit of a boost. I guess he kind of let it go to his head a bit or something."

"A bit?" Jordan frowned and pointed to the consoles. "I saw what happened. I got the readings on that alien from Tensou. Noah was way, way over his head on that one."

"Let me try to get him to tone it down a bit," Rebecca pleaded to her brother. "I'll make sure that when that alien comes back, Noah will let you guys lend him a hand."

"See that you do," Troy nodded and then pointed to the communicator beside his sister, "And just remember, when you run into any trouble, just teleport here."

"I'll do better with that," Rebecca smiled. "I promise. You don't have to worry about me."

"I hope so. I've got enough to worry about around here," Troy said. "By the way, did you get the toys?"

"Uh... I had them with me before the alien put me through a blender..."

"What does that mean?" Troy groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. Rebecca shrugged and smirked innocently.

"Maybe we should just be grateful it was the toys and not me that got chopped up."

Troy grabbed his sister's shoulders, "Next time..."

"Teleport. Yeah, yeah, I get it. But look!" Rebecca reached into her jacket and took out a blue Ranger action figure, "I did save one! See!"

Troy shook his head and then kissed her forehead before he made his way to the bathroom to clean himself off. Rebecca hopped down from the stool and looked to Jordan with a smile.

"Now I have the red, yellow, and blue action figures. And you have none."

"Becca, I'm marrying the real pink Ranger."

"So, you're jealous, right?"

"No."

"Yahuh."

"Rebecca, those are just cheap, plastic toys," Jordan shook his head. "I have a real life Power Ranger to keep me warm at night."

Rebecca frowned and crossed her arms over her chest. At that moment, Gia, Jake, and Emma walked into the command center. Rebecca smirked, seeing her way to win this little argument.

"Gia..."

"What are you doing?" Jordan asked as the smirk on his face dropped, replaced by a look of panic.

"Jordan called you cheap!"

"No. No, that's not what I said..."

"And he said he can do whatever he wants to Emma and the pink spandex gets him all hot."

"I never said any of that!" Jordan cried. "Rebecca..."

"That's what I heard," Rebecca smirked.

"I... I... I have ten seconds to run, don't I?"

"You're down to seven," Gia nodded. "And I'm being generous."

Jordan took off, and seven quick seconds later, Gia followed him. As they left, Rebecca ran to the entrance and called out, "Jealous now, Jordan?"

"What did you do?" Emma groaned. Rebecca smirked at the pink Ranger.

"Jordan made fun of my collection of you guys. Don't worry, I'm sure he'll be fine."

Emma rolled her eyes, but she knew there was nothing she could do about it now. Instead she turned to Jake.

"Any idea what's gotten into Noah?"

Jake shook his head. "He's never been like this before. He's usually always playing it safe and thinking his actions through. Taking on a new alien alone like that just seemed so... out of place."

"Maybe when he gets back, you can talk to him," Emma suggested. "Speaking of, do you know where he could be? If the alien knows he's alone..."

"I'll give it a shot," Jake said and turned to his console. He pulled up security footage and satellite images of all the places he assumed Noah would have gone to to cool off, but found his best friend wasn't there. "Alright, now I'm really starting to worry."


	25. Noah's Place

After careful planning, Noah had the perfect setup for his training just beyond the Ranger's training grounds in the woods outside the command center. It had taken him hours, but he had managed to recreate Skatana's attack's perfectly by using some of the swords the Rangers had stored for their training. By cutting the ropes they were connected to, he would unless them group by group, and just like the alien's attack, they would all be coming for him. To pass, he needed to be able to stop or dodge them all.

Skatana, the alien, had gotten the better of him. Noah was a good Ranger, but he wasn't good enough. He should have been able to stop the monster. He shouldn't have needed his friends to come and help him. He couldn't have them thinking he would need them around all the time, or that he couldn't take care of himself, or that they couldn't rely on him to get the job done. He wanted them to know, and he wanted to prove to himself that he was more than just the guy behind the computer, or the one who came up with smart ideas for them to follow. He could be the brawn of the team. He could be counted on to stop an alien while the others dealt with the X-Borgs.

So Noah cut the ropes, and group by group the swords came flying in his direction. He fared pretty well at first and thought maybe he wouldn't need much training to defeat the alien. He had gotten a lucky shot in at the end. Noah hadn't seen that one coming. If Skatana tried it again, Noah would be ready for it.

Unfortunately, his training proved otherwise. Just when he thought all the swords had been thrown, one shot by. It narrowly missed him, cutting through his shirt and just barely grazing his skin, leaving a slight cut. Noah grabbed his arm and let out a groan. He had been close, but that wasn't good enough. He started to collect the swords to try again when he heard a twig snap. He turned around and saw Rebecca had joined him.

"What are you doing?" she asked him, seeing all the swords on the ground.

"I just want to be left alone," Noah answered her. "Just go back to the command center. I doubt Troy would be happy to know you're out here alone anyways."

"I'm not alone," Rebecca shook her head. "You're here."

"That's not enough," Noah shook his head and reset his training system. "You heard him. I'm not good enough."

"Noah..."

"Don't tell me he's not right. I might be good enough to stop some X-Borgs, but no one thinks I can take care of myself against the real monsters."

"No one said that. Noah, you were amazing back there! That alien just got lucky."

"You brother said it, and everyone else agrees."

"We talked about this, Noah," Rebecca walked up to him and put her hand on his shoulder. "You're an awesome Ranger, and you've come so far from where you started. You don't need to beat yourself up like this. Next time that alien comes, you and the others will..."

"I may have come a long way," Noah shook his head, "But my training was far behind the others when we first started. Troy, Gia, Emma and Jake were born for this stuff. I wasn't. I have to train twice as hard just to keep up."

"Noah, you're good enough as you are! That alien just got you alone. If you go in there with your team, I'm sure you'll be able to take him down..."

"I don't need a team. I'm going to prove to them I can do this. I am good enough."

"No one doubts that."

"Of course they do. You were there! Hell, you're not all that confident in me either."

"What?"

"When the others turned up, I heard you. You were relieved. You didn't think I could protect you alone."

"It was twenty to one," Rebecca shrugged her shoulders. "I knew you'd do your best, but when my life's on the line, I'd prefer better odds."

"You wouldn't have felt that way if it had been Troy with you. Or Gia, or Jake, or Emma."

"I'll always prefer better odds," Rebecca shook her head. "Besides, you and I haven't finished training me. It's not like I can really help out. The more Rangers, the safer it is for everyone. Including you."

"No."

"No? Noah..."

"I'm not good enough. The others don't think I'm good enough. Just leave me alone. I'm going to train, I'm going to figure out how to beat the alien, and I'm going to do it by myself. I have something to prove. If I'm not good enough. The team's not good enough. I can't let that be the case."

Noah pushed her away and told her not to come any closer as he unleashed the first round of swords. Rebecca jumped back as she watched the sharp blades fly straight for her friends, and there was nothing she could do to stop them. When the final blade she hoped that would be the end of it, but just like the time before it grazed Noah's arm and he felt he wasn't good enough to pass. He reset his system and started over again.

"Noah, this is ridiculous," Rebecca called out and took a seat on the ground. She was sure she would be in for a long night.

-Megaforce-

Inside the command center, the Rangers were taking some time to unwind. Troy had put Ryan to bed and then brought out a board game for everyone to play. He figured it would be a fun way to relax, and a game would take his mind off the fact that Rebecca and Noah were still out somewhere. When his sister had taken off to find the blue Ranger, she hadn't told him where she thought he would be. She wanted to be able to speak to him privately.

Jake, Emma, Jordan, and even Tensou joined in on the game. Only Gia decided to pass, and retreated to her room for the night.

About an hour into the game, Emma decided she wanted to get changed into something a little more comfortable, and went to her room to grab her pyjamas. She shared the room with Gia because of limited space in the command center and so found her best friend looking at her laptop on the bed.

"You'd prefer to browse the internet over hanging out with your friends?" Emma teased her. Gia looked up, and as she did she lowered the lid of her computer slightly.

"I just didn't feel like a family game night," she shrugged her shoulders. "I kind of have other things on my mind."

"Like what?"

"Wedding sabotage."

Emma rolled her eyes. She knew Gia was only teasing. Jordan had happily announced that he had earned Gia's real blessings after their little date night together.

"Seriously, Gia. What's up? Want to talk about it?"

"It's nothing, really," Gia shook her head. "I kind of just... wanted to check up on our moms."

"Gia..."

"I'm not contacting them. Trust me, I know how dangerous that can get. If Vekar had shot that third missile..."

"Noah says the coordinates were for home," Emma reminded her. "Our moms aren't home. We'd have lost the house, but nothing else."

"Yeah, I know. You made the right call asking them to leave. But just because we would have avoided that problem doesn't mean I can't just... make sure they're okay from time to time. You know."

"Just don't do too much digging. After what happened to Troy and Rebecca's parents, we can't afford to let Vekar know where ours are. I'm fine with him believing they're at home."

"Yeah, me too," Gia nodded her head. Emma offered her a smile and then when she was changed she walked out of the room. Gia breathed a sigh of relief and then opened her laptop and continued reading the page.

_All residents are warned to keep a careful eye out for the escapees. Any information that leads to their recapture will be rewarded. Residents are also warned to keep a safe distance. These criminals are considered dangerous._

Gia didn't need to read anymore. She clicked the back button and then closed her laptop and set it aside on the bed. She knew it would be pointless to ask Gosei if she could lend a hand with these criminals. She knew her Ranger powers were only to be used to protect herself, or to defend the world against an alien invasion.

But knowing these criminals were on the run made her sick to her stomach not because she worried they would be coming after her, but because she knew what they wanted.

"_We'll get you next time, Goodall!"_

She knew it was them. She wouldn't forget the faces of the three men she had to fight in the alley the night of hers and Jordan's date. At the time, they had just been regular thugs – men with nothing better to do than cheat and steal from others. But when they called her Goodall, when they used Emma's name, she knew there was more to them than she initially thought. She had been busy recently stopping Vekar's missile plan and being a comforting shoulder for Troy and Rebecca when they needed her, but now she had some time to go back to it.

Her research had revealed that these men were escaped convicts. In her last battle with Vrak, she had given the fight everything she had, and as a result, ended up levelling an entire neighbourhood. Homes had been destroyed, and people were still suffering as a result. She had anticipated that before unleashing all her power. What she hadn't seen coming was the effects it would have on other neighbourhoods. Until recently, she thought the waves of her blast had only set off car alarms or shattered windows or caused some power to go out for several hours. It seemed it had more of an effect than that.

The city's prison had been touched, and while the building was able to stand the waves, its power had not. Between the time the lights went out and the generator could kick in, hundreds of criminals had been released from their cells. While most of them hadn't been able to make it past the guards to leave the prison, some had. The three thugs that had challenged her and Jordan in the alleyway had been some of them, but there was one name that really stood out for her. One name she was hoping never to see again.

Jeffrey Goodall.


	26. Noah's Fight

By the time Noah mastered his training, the sun was starting to rise. He looked up at the sky and knew his time to duel with Skatana was close. He turned to where he had seen Rebecca sit on the ground and noticed she had fallen asleep.

She was close to the command center and so far away from the city that he didn't need to worry about her getting into trouble. In fact, if she stayed here and out of his way, she wouldn't be in any danger. Seeing she had brought a bag with her, he opened it up. He found a blanket inside and gentle draped it over her. While the weather was warming up, the mornings could still be cold, and he didn't want her getting sick. But as he lay the blanket on top of her, he caught sight of the cut on her cheek. Gently with his finger, he grazed it.

Despite hearing her breathe of relief when the others had turned up in their last battle, Noah was grateful for Rebecca's confidence in him. Though he had pushed her away to train, his passion to improve and become a better swordsman and a better Ranger had been thanks to her. Before she found him training in the middle of the night, he had just been trying to keep up with the others. He had just tried to avoid not letting his teammates down. Her talk with him about how much he had improved as a Ranger, as well as how important she felt he was to the team gave him the confidence boost he needed to take on Skatana on his own and to be the best Ranger he could be. Although he was doing this to prove something to himself, and to show his teammates they didn't need to worry about having his back all the time, a big part of him wanted to improve so that Rebecca would feel safe.

He wasn't sure when exactly it had happened. He assumed he had started to feel for her when she became a ally to the Rangers. She was his friend, and he never wanted to see her in pain, but lately it had turned into more than that.

He thought maybe it was because her life was far from fair. She had lost her mother at a young age and at a time where she needed someone to lean on, her father had turned his back on her. Noah knew she had a home with the Burrows, but watching her hold on to her father and seeing her heart get crushed by him over and over again had, in a little way, touched Noah. He wanted to help. He wanted to do something. He hated to see people suffer. He hated to know that there were good people who were hurting, and that there was nothing he could do to stop it.

When her father died – when they found out he drank himself to death – Rebecca had snapped, and again, Noah felt helpless. As if it wasn't enough to have her mother ripped away from her, but to lose her father was too much for such a young girl. Noah wanted to do something to make it better. He wanted to be able to step in and protect her. He wanted to stop anything else bad from happening to her, but he didn't know what to do. Fortunately, she still had a loving family to look out for her.

Unfortunately, that too had been ripped out from under her, and while she still had her brother to look out for her, her numbers were getting smaller. Seeing what had happened, seeing how much danger she was in, and seeing how cruel life could be angered him. His feeling helpless bothered him, and he started to wonder if maybe there was something he could have done better. If he had helped her with her father – if he hadn't of been so scared to stand up to him for her, maybe he could have talked some sense into Mr. Daniels like he could with all his friends. Maybe Rebecca would still have a father she could count on, who would protect her and shelter her from all these horrible things. And maybe it he had been a little bit faster, a little bit stronger, and a little bit better at being a Ranger, he could have caught on to Vekar's plan before the missile went off, and before she and Troy lost their parents.

He knew the past couldn't be changed. He knew there was nothing he could do about that now, but he wanted to make sure the pain stopped here for everyone on Earth, for his teammates, and especially for her. If he could be a better Ranger, the whole team would be better. They would have more power to stop Vekar and the Armada, and there would be peace on Earth once again. Rebecca wouldn't have to lose anymore. She wouldn't have to worry about what she would do if anything happened to Troy, and she wouldn't have to feel so alone.

To do that, Noah had to prove himself. He had to be a good Ranger. He had to show his teammates they could lean on him. He had to show the monsters and Vekar that he wouldn't be pushed around.

He gently tucked the blanket around her to keep her warm, and then reached into her bag again. He pulled out her communicator and put it in the palm of her hand, just in case she needed it.

"I will stop that monster," he whispered a promise to her. "Nothing's going to hurt you again."

With that, he picked up his sword and started for the beach. He knew Skatana was waiting for him.

He was right. When he eventually made it to the beach he saw the alien standing there waiting. With his sword in hand he walked on the sand, ready for battle.

"I didn't think you'd show up," the alien chuckled.

"You're about to regret that I did," Noah answered back.

"I've been looking forward to this. Do you really think you've got what it takes, Blue?"

"Why don't we find out?" Noah asked. With that, he morphed and charged into battle. Just like their last meeting, Noah started off strong. Skatana couldn't land a single attack, which frustrated him. Earlier than before, he called for his special attack. Noah saw the hundreds of blades appear in the air but they didn't intimidate him. He had been up all night practicing for this. He knew how to stop this attack. He knew how he would be able to defeat Skatana. He just had to wait for the right moment to strike.

Before he could, he felt something grab his arms and legs and hold him back. He tried to pull free, but they held him tight. Looking around, he saw Skatana had brought some X-Borgs to help him with the fight and couldn't believe he had been fooled.

"You came alone!" Skatana laughed as he struck Noah across the chest and forced him to his knees. "I came prepared. You've much improved, but you've neglected one thing. Never underestimate your opponent. Time to finish you..."

"Leave him alone!" Noah suddenly heard Jake's cry and glanced over his shoulder to see the other Rangers running up the beach. They were immediately swarmed by the X-Borgs, but with his blaster, Jake had gotten a couple of shots on Skatana, which forced him to back off a little bit, giving Noah a little time.

"You guys came?" Noah asked and pushed himself up to his feet.

"We're not letting you fight this guy alone!" Jake answered him with a nod of his head, and then he tossed his sword to Noah. "We'll handle the X-Borgs and Bruisers. You finish this guy off."

"I... I..."

"They believe in you, Noah," Rebecca called out, and Noah turned to see she had hidden behind a rock on the beach. He couldn't help but wonder how long she had been there. "We all believe in you, Noah. You don't have to prove anything to us."

"How pathetic," Skatana rolled his eyes and turned to Rebecca. "The blue Ranger is foolish! He may be..."

"Noah's one of the best damn Rangers this planet's ever seen!" Rebecca cried out. "He's smart and he's tough, and if he hadn't of let his pride get in the way of thinking reasonably, you'd already be dead!"

"Rebecca..."

"Noah, Troy didn't yell at you because he thought you weren't good enough. He yelled at you because you were being an idiot! You guys are a team. You fight together. No one should have to take on any alien alone."

"But what about..."

"I'd trust you with my life, Noah! You're not the weakest link. The others aren't protecting you. They're your teammates! They rely on you just as much as you do them! You're only going to let them down if you try and handle things without them. You can't win this war without them, and they can't do it without you!"

"I am sick and tired of this touchy-feely crap!" Skatana shouted and lunged for Rebecca. "This is a duel between me and the blue Ranger and you..."

"Hey! Leave her alone!" Noah shouted and felt more power coursing through his veins. With a tight grip on both his and Jake's swords he charged at Skatana, and before the alien could hurt a hair on Rebecca, Noah had taken him to the ground.

"Yeah!" Rebecca cheered from behind her rock as she watched the blue Ranger take on and take down the alien. "Go Noah! Show him what you're made of! Hit him in the arm! Hit him in the face! Go! Go! Go!"

Rebecca continued to cheer him on, which kept Noah in the zone, as Jake had always called it when he got so caught up in his work that nothing could stop it. It worked to his advantage when Skatana unleased another blades of infinity attack. This time, with this friends doing all they could to keep the X-Borgs and Bruisers away from him, Noah could focus on the attack coming at him. Just like in training he avoided or deflected all the swords coming his way. When it was time for the final strike, Noah was ready for it. He held out his own sword.

Skatana's final blade flew right into Noah's and was then cut right down the middle, with both ends flying on either side of Noah. While Skatana needed a moment to figure out his next move, Noah already knew what was coming and launched himself into a final attack.

"Yes! Go, Noah!" Rebecca cheered as she watched the blue Ranger finish off the alien. When Skatana exploded, and she saw her friends had used their Jungle Fury and SPD legendary modes to defeat all the alien foot soldiers she jumped out from behind her rock and ran to Noah. She threw herself in his arms.

"You did it! I knew you could! I knew you were good enough."

"Noah nodded his head. "Thanks for believing in me, Rebecca."

"Anytime, the younger girl smiled. "Just... promise one thing."

"Anything."

"No more running off alone," Troy stated. Noah turned around and saw his teammates had joined him. He powered down with them and looked down at his feet. Troy put his hand on his shoulder.

"I talked with Rebecca. What I said before... it wasn't personal, Noah. I'd have yelled at anyone else if they had faced that freak on their own. We had no idea who he was or what he was capable of, and we're strongest as a team. You could have really been hurt."

Noah nodded his head and then looked out at the battlefield and remembered what had almost happened. He had been a complete idiot for running into a battle alone, and Skatana had called him out on it. He had put himself in danger, underestimated his opponent, and underestimated himself. When the X-Borgs grabbed him he had been helpless, and if his friends hadn't of turned up with they had for the second time against this monster, he would have been dead, no doubt.

"I'm sorry, guys," he said. "I just... I didn't want to let any of you down. As a team, we're only as strong as our weakest link and I just..."

"You're not our weakest link," Jake assured him and put his arm around his best friend. "Dude, Rebecca called it right. You're one of the best. I mean, you aren't just insanely powerful as a Ranger but, excluding what happened today, you always know the best way to use those powers, and the best thing to do."

"Brain and brawns," Rebecca looked up at him with a smile. "You're a deadly combination."

"We fight together," Troy told Noah. "We work as a team. That's how we're going to stop the Armada. Taking this war on alone is no way to win."

Troy turned and smiled softly at Rebecca as he remembered how she had convinced him of that shortly after their parents had been killed. He couldn't deny wanting to take on Vekar personally and settling the score on his own. Fortunately his sister had convinced him he needed his teammates. Fortunately, she had done the same with Noah.

"I know that, Noah. Thanks for having my back out there, guys," Noah smiled. His teammates all gave him a pat on the back before they started to make their way home. Noah didn't follow. Instead, he grabbed Rebecca's arm and asked her to stay back. She looked up at him with that smile he had grown to love.

"What's up?"

"I just... I wanted to thank you personally for never giving up on me," he said. "I couldn't have done it without you."

"Aw, thanks," Rebecca grinned happily. "I'm glad I could help."

"And..." Noah could feel his cheeks turning red and he looked down at the sand, "I also want you to know that... everything's going to be okay... you... you know."

"Yeah. Everyone's saying that lately," Rebecca nodded her head. "I've been talking with Troy and Gia about it. Even when it's hard, I know we're doing all we can. The Burrows wouldn't want us to give up if they knew and if they were still here. We've got to keep fighting."

"You don't need to fight," Noah shook his head. "I mean... What I mean is... you've already been through enough. You should know that... What I want to say is... I guess I got so caught up because... well, you're my friend and... I don't want to see anything else happen to you. Losing four parents is already way too much and... Just... just know that it stops here. You don't have to worry about losing any one else you care about. I... I won't... I mean, it's just... I won't let it happen."

Rebecca smiled and then reached up and kissed his cheek, "I know you won't. I trust you. As long as well all stick together, there's no way the Armada can win."

"Yeah," Noah nodded nervously. Rebecca hung around him for a couple more moments and then walked off back to the command center. Then, remembering she had her communicator, she decided to teleport. Noah watched her go with a little chuckle and a shake of his head before he heard the sand shift behind him. He turned around and saw Jake.

"I... I... I..."

"What are you doing?" Noah rolled his eyes at his best friend.

"I... just... I mean... what I wanted to say is... I... I... I love you, Rebecca," Jake teased and gently prodded his best friend in the ribs. Noah pulled away.

"I do not! What are you doing here anyways? I thought you were going back to the command center."

"I was," Jake said. "But when I saw you weren't with us I turned back," Jake said. "Dude, you are crushing so hard."

"That's ridiculous," Noah shook his head. "I thought you knew me better than that. I'm not into dating. I don't get crushes. My focus is on being a Ranger right now. A good Ranger."

"Yeah, because feelings are always so easy to control," Jake teased playfully. "Come on, dude, admit it. You've got a thing for Rebecca."

"I just feel bad for her, okay. A lot's happened and she shouldn't have to go through it all by herself."

"Who says she's by herself?"

"I just mean..."

"Dude, don't lie to me. I know you better than that. This crazy obsession, getting all protective of Rebecca, fighting in her honour, you're crushing, you're crushing hard, and you should ask her on a date."

"I don't date, and I don't get crushes. Rebecca's just a friend."

"Yeah, I don't believe you."

"Jake..."

"Noah, just be real. I mean, she is my sister and all, so I'll never see her that way, but objectively I guess she's pretty cute."

"Yeah, there's the word for it."

"Cute?"

"Sister," Noah answered. "She's like a little sister. For you, for the team, for me. There's not... I mean... look, even if I did like her..."

"You so like her."

"No, Jake..."

"Seriously, Noah, ask her out."

"I don't..."

"Come on, dude. If I can get Gia to go on a date and fall in love with _me_, a guy like you should have no problem with Rebecca."

"Jake, I..."

"We can even double date. You know, take away a bit of the pressure. Just ask her out..."

"I don't know how," Noah finally blurted out and turned away from Jake. "Even if I wanted to... which... I do... I don't know how."

"I can help with that."

"What if she says no? What if she doesn't see me that way? What about Troy?"

"Dude, you're getting way ahead of yourself," Jake said. "Don't worry about Troy. Rebecca's a big girl."

"Troy's extremely protective, though."

"That doesn't mean Rebecca can't make her own decisions. And besides, I've lost track of how many times Emma's punched or threatened to punch me. You kind of just brush it off after a while."

"Yeah, but that's not Troy."

"Don't psych yourself out, dude. You're a great guy. Any girl would be lucky to go on a date with you. Any guy should be grateful his sister's dating you. You just focus on asking Rebecca out, and making the offer way too attractive to pass up."

"How do I do that?"

"Come on, dude. I'll show you," Jake said and started to head into the city. Noah didn't have a choice but to follow him.


	27. Decisions and Doubts

After getting home from the battle, Gia went straight to her laptop. She didn't even bother with cleaning herself off. She had a few cuts and bruises, but nothing that needed attention, especially from someone else.

She opened up her computer on her bed and started to browse through the news. Just before she had been called into battle to help Noah with the alien she had gotten an update about Mr. Goodall. It seemed him and her three new friends from the alleyway had been spotted in town, but she hadn't gotten the chance to read what had come of it. Now she was desperate to know.

"Come on... come on... come... dammit," she grumbled as she read the bottom of the update where it announced they had all gotten away before the police turned up. "Why do you have to be such an asshole?"

She hated knowing Mr. Goodall was out on the streets. Though she and her teammates rarely ever went into the city, they still had to make the occasional run. Harwood was a pretty big place, but Gia didn't like that there were any odds of Emma and Mr. Goodall running into each other. Mr. Goodall was a mad man: a complete and selfish lunatic and a total hot-head. Nothing good would come of them reuniting. Gia wanted him off the streets as soon as possible.

"Hey, Jordan's making sundaes," Emma poked her head in the room, "Want one?"

"I... uh..." Gia looked down at her laptop. She wanted to go into the city. She wanted to find Mr. Goodall and bring him in herself. She knew she could handle him. She knew she could take him down.

But then she looked up at Emma and smiled. She had put her friends through enough already. They were still sneaking into her room in the middle of the night to make sure she was okay. They were still asking after her, worried she would start to have thoughts of killing herself again. She couldn't worry them. She couldn't run off without telling them what she was doing. She couldn't do solo missions.

"Sundaes sound great. Tell him I'll be out in a minute."

-Megaforce-

Noah stood in front of the florist, staring through the window at the selection of flowers inside. He could feel his heart beating in his chest and he was sure his sweaty palms were going to leave a stain on the bear he held in his hands. Jake nudged his arm.

"Dude, it's just flowers. Unless she's allergic, you really can't go wrong."

"What if she is allergic?"

"She's not," Jake shook his head. "Rebecca's sweet. She'll appreciate the thought alone. We don't even have to get something expensive. And, I'm not saying you'll need it, but a bouquet will really increase the chances of her saying yes."

"There's just... so many flowers," Noah said and tried to swallow the lump in his throat. "Jake, you know I don't like this. You know whenever I encounter something knew I like to analyse it a bit."

"That's what dating is," Jake chuckled. "Besides, if you spend your whole life analysing data, you're never going to be able to enjoy just diving into something and seeing how it turns out. Take a risk."

"We don't even know if she likes me back. This could make things awkward. And we have to live together..."

"Noah, when you want something, you have to go after it. You have to take a risk. You can't spend the rest of your command center living days getting all nervous and sweaty around her, can you?"

"This is... it's just... it's too soon," Noah shook his head. He dropped the bear on the sidewalk and walked off. Jake rolled his eyes, scooped up the bear and then chased after his friend.

"Noah..."

"I'm not like you, Jake. I'm not... smooth."

"Smooth? Me?" Jake chuckled. "Before Gia and I got together, do you remember all the desperate moves I made just to get her attention? She's admitted her first impression of me was that I was pathetic."

"You don't let that stuff get to you," Noah shook his head. "I remember your first soccer coach told you you'd never be any good on the field. Now look at you. If we defeat the Armada in time, you'll be starting your second season on Coach McKnight's soccer team as his star player."

"Yeah, something tells me that's gonna have to wait," Jake muttered and then grabbed Noah's arm. "Dude, I believed in myself. It's just like fighting that alien today. You can't let what other people think get you down. You're good enough just the way you are, and if Rebecca can't see that, it's her loss."

"I don't want to make an idiot of myself," Noah said. "I don't want to make things awkward, and I don't want to ruin any friendship we have. Not to mention what Troy will think..."

"Don't worry about Troy. He's cool. He knows you won't hurt her."

"I can't do this," Noah said. "I'm sorry, Jake but... dating just isn't my thing. I don't like taking uncalculated risks. I don't want to... be in love. It's... scary."

"But it's the fun kind of scary," Jake smiled. "It's like horror movies."

"Great analogy. You remember I hate horror movies, right?"

"Noah, I took... Gia took a huge risk with me," Jake thought maybe if he tried a new approach he could get his best friend to reconsider. It was clear using himself as an example was doing nothing to reassure Noah. "I could have stomped on her heart and humiliated her. I could have made things really awkward. I could have been the biggest mistake of her life."

"No, you wouldn't have."

"You know that, but she didn't. Dude, it took months for Gia to warm up to me. She was so scared, just like you."

"That's not like me. Cliff beat her. I'm not scared Rebecca's going to beat me. I'm scared of..."

"Putting your heart out there and having someone you care about break it?"

"Jake..."

"Gia was scared too. She was absolutely terrified. But when she let go of that fear and just dove in... I mean, I don't want to brag, but I'm pretty sure I changed her life. She's happy. We're both really happy. That never would have happened if we kept playing it safe. Maybe Rebecca will crush your heart. Maybe she's not the girl for you, but dammit, Noah, until you dive in, you're always going to be scared of what's in the water."

"Do you really think she'll say yes?"

"She'd be an idiot not to," Jake nodded his head. He held out the bear, "Come on. Let's go get those flowers."

"And what if she says no?"

"Men get rejected all the time. She says no, I'll make you the biggest sundae you can imagine."

"Alright. Let's just get this over with before I change my mind," Noah nodded and marched into the florist. Jake smiled and followed his best friend proudly.


	28. Popping The Question

"Alright, Ryan, watch this shot. This is going to be one you'll remember forever."

Rebecca lined up the Ranger keys on the kitchen table. The other Rangers were either outside doing some training, or out running some errands. Noah and Jake hadn't even come home yet after the battle, but Rebecca was sure they were okay. For now, her only responsibility was watching over Ryan.

She lined up the keys like bowling pins at the end of the table, and used Troy's Megaforce Red Ranger key as what she called the shooter. After taking aim she slid the key across the table and knocked over all ten of the other Ranger's key she had lined at the end.

"Yes! Aha! Did you see that! Did you see what your big sister just did, Ryan... Ryan, stop sucking your hand and pay attention, will you?"

The little baby, with her hand still in her mouth, just glanced up at Rebecca curiously. Rebecca sighed and crossed her arms over her chest.

"You are really difficult to play with, you know that. I don't always want to play peek-a-boo, you know."

Hearing her favourite word, Ryan put her hands over her eyes and giggled excitedly. Rebecca just rolled her eyes.

"Alright, I hate to ruin your childhood so young, but I can see you."

"BA!" Ryan cried happily as she pulled her hands away from her eyes. Rebecca stuck out her tongue.

"Didn't scare me."

"Ba!" Ryan tried again. Rebecca knew the little baby would be persistent so she decided to give up, play along, and then took the little girl out of her high chair so they could move on to something else. At the same time, Jake and Noah walked into the command center. Rebecca was barely paying attention. She was too busy balancing the baby on her hip with cleaning up the Ranger Keys.

Jake, seeing the others were out, nudged Noah forward with a smile, "Do it now."

"Jake..."

"Come on. The longer you put it off the harder it's going to get. If you really start to freak out, suggest a double date. I'll convince Gia."

Noah nodded, and with the flowers in one hand and the teddy bear in the other he walked up to Rebecca.

"Hey, Becca..."

"I didn't break any keys, I swear."

"That's fine. They're indestructible, even for you," Noah chuckled nervously and Rebecca finally looked up at him. He saw she noticed the flowers and the teddy bear and he knew there was no way out of it now. He would have to go through with asking her out. He held out his gifts.

"Here. I got these for you."

"Oh, uh..."

Noah could feel himself starting to sweat. Rebecca wasn't taking them. She was standing there awkwardly and just staring at him and the gifts.

"Dude, she's holding a baby and the keys," Jake whispered in his ear before he took Ryan and the keys from Rebecca's arms to lighten her load. Then he disappeared into the bedroom to give the two a little privacy. Noah still couldn't calm his nerves and had to take a few deep breathes, but he felt a little more confident when Rebecca took both his gifts with a smile.

"Thanks! I love the flowers."

"I'm... uh... glad."

"You didn't have to do this," Rebecca shook her head. "If this is about the cut, it doesn't even hurt. Having my head still attached to my body is gift enough. And if it's about helping you out before, don't mention it. I've learned I love helping people."

"It's actually... Well, I do want to apologize and thank you for those things but... um, there's something... something else. Rebecca, I... I totally get if you say no and I don't want to make things weird between us. I mean, we're good friends, and we have pretty much the same friends and we have to live together all the time. Not to mention what Troy will think and how awkward things might get with that. Jake says not to worry about Troy but he is my friend and he's your brother so it's kind of hard not to take that into consideration..."

"Noah."

"Uh, yeah?"

"Wanna go to dinner sometime?" Rebecca asked him with a little smile. Noah breathed a sigh of relief and nodded his head.

"Yeah. I'd like that."

"I figured you would," Rebecca smiled and smelled the flowers. "Just name a time and date. I've got nothing else to do."

"How about tomorrow night?" Noah suggested.

"That sounds perfect," Rebecca said. "It's a date."

She gave the blue Ranger a kiss on the cheek and then walked into her bedroom. Noah blushed a deep red and turned to his and Jake's bedroom as the green Ranger walked out with Ryan.

"So?"

"It's a date."

"Dude! I told you!" Jake started to jump excitedly and high fived his best friend. "See what happens when you dive in! See. Wasn't I right? I was so right on this one!"

"That was probably the most nerve-wracking thing I've ever done," Noah said. He grabbed the dish towel from the oven handle to wipe his forehead. "I think if she had said no I would have literally melted."

"When's the date?"

"Tomorrow night. We're going to dinner."

"Any idea where you're taking her?"

Noah shook his head. "Uh... I hadn't thought of it, actually. I should probably get on that."

"Yeah, maybe," Jake answered teasingly and then caught a whiff of something bad in the air. He looked down at the little girl in his arms and then held her out for Noah to take, "Oh, and while you're at it, maybe you should get to work on this too. Smells like a real bad one."

Without giving Noah a chance to protest, Jake put the baby in the blue Ranger's arms and then grabbed a sword from the wall and headed out to train with the others. Noah looked down at Ryan and groaned as he caught the foul smell in the air.

"Please tell me this is bad timing and not you voicing your disproval at me dating your big sister. Wow, Ry, you stink!"

-Megaforce-

"I was thinking," Jordan said as blocked a punch from Gia on the training grounds just a little ways off from the command center. Troy had suggested they train in teams of two and Jordan found himself paired up with Gia. He was a little worried about his partner, but took this as an opportunity to talk to her about his plans for a second proposal with Emma. Gia had made it clear she wanted Emma to have a proposal she would always remember fondly, and the one Jordan offered her in Dr. Oliver's basement didn't make the cut, "In the springtime, as the flowers are blooming, I could take her out for a picnic in the woods."

"You're on the right track," Gia nodded, "But she and I have had springtime picnics in the woods. Sorry, but it's not really something special anymore."

"Even if it's a date with me."

"Do you want _me_ to answer that question?" Gia threw a punch at his head, which he ducked just in time to avoid. "You're getting better."

"Thanks. Any suggestions on how I can spice it up, then?"

"If it were up to me, there would never be any spice. Do you remember who you're talking to, or did I actually connect with that last punch without knowing?"

"Okay, well, maybe I could take her to the beach during a sunset..."

"Do you want to make her cry?"

"A few tears, maybe."

"Those won't be the tears you want," Gia answered and caught Jordan's fist in her hand. "Dad used to take her to watch the sunset whenever she was having a bad day. It always cheered her up. She's got a photo album dedicated to sunsets because of it."

"Oh. Well, I did take her to the butterfly exhibit once. We can relive an old date. That's always romantic."

"That's a good idea. There's just one problem."

"Who used to take her to the butterfly exhibit?"

"Not that. You remember when I tried to blow Vrak up, but he still walked away, and so I tried to kill myself."

"Yeah..."

"Well, the neighbourhood I took out with me... yeah, the butterfly exhibit was there. It and the butterflies kind of... didn't make it."

"This is sabotage."

"Sabotage would be killing you off in an explosion," Gia answered. "Sorry, Jordan, you're gonna have to try a little harder than that."

As he kicked at her she caught his leg, twisted it so he was forced to turn and hop on one leg and then she pushed him to the ground. She pinned him down for a couple of seconds, mostly just to rub in the fact that she had beaten him, and then walked to the bench to drink from her water bottle. Emma, who had finished training with Troy, offered her hand to help him up.

"Still can't beat her, huh?"

"I take it easy on her," Jordan shrugged and started to brush off the dirt from his clothes. You know how sensitive she is... OW!"

He rubbed the back of his head and turned around. Gia smirked innocently but not longer had her water bottle in her hands. When Jordan looked around his feet, he saw the yellow bottle on the ground.

"Did you...?"

"It slipped," Gia answered. "My sensitive little hands just couldn't hold onto it anymore. Oops."

Gia chuckled as Jordan threw his bottle back at her but missed, and then she heard her phone beep ring. She recognized the number as being the hospital's and so as she picked up her bottle she answered the call and a deep frown formed on her face.

"Is everything okay?" Emma asked as she came over for a drink. Gia shook her head and hung up.

"I've got to go."

"Gia..."

"I've gotta go!" Gia shouted and teleported away.


	29. Worst Nightmares

Gia didn't care about keeping a low profile. She didn't care if people were supposed to believe she was dead. She didn't even care if someone noticed her teleporting to just outside the hospital. Her only thought was on her mother, and the call she had received from inside the hospital that told her her mother had been admitted.

She ran to the front desk and asked after her mother, but the woman wouldn't tell her a room number or anything about what happened. She had the nerve to say that there was no one by the name of Vanessa Moran in the hospital, and no one matching the description Gia gave. Frustrated and very scared, Gia decided not to wait around for answers she wouldn't get anyways and stormed in. The nurses and receptionists tried to stop her, but they couldn't catch up to her. They were finally dismissed when a man in a lab coat, whom Gia assumed was a doctor, came down the hall. Gia grabbed him by the jacket and pressed him up against a wall.

"Where is she?"

"I'm sorry?"

"My mother! One of your dumbass doctors called my phone and said my mother was here."

"Car crash?"

"Yes," Gia answered and her grip loosened slightly. The doctor waved at the nurses and receptionist to leave, assured them he had things under control and then smiled to Gia.

"I made the call. We received your mother just this morning. I'm afraid it was a horrible accident."

"Where is she? What happened?"

"Follow me, Miss Goodall. I'll explain on the way to her room," the doctor said. Gia nodded her head and followed for a couple of steps before she really heard what he had said. She turned to him with a baffled look on her face.

"Goodall? I'm not... wait a minute, I remember you!" Gia cried as she recognized the doctor. He wasn't a doctor. He was one of the thugs who attacked her and Jordan in the alleyway only a few days before. He was one of the men who had escaped from prison along with Mr. Goodall.

The thug grabbed her arm, "You're going home to daddy, little princess."

"Let me go!" Gia pulled her arm free and tried to run. As soon as she did, another _doctor_ stepped out into the hallway to block her path. She turned around, and saw the final of the three thugs had joined the fight, keeping her trapped where she was. Seeing she had no other choice, she reached for her morpher. She held it out and was just about to morph when she felt something jab into her hand. With a whimper of pain she dropped her morpher and turned her head to see a needle had been stabbed into the back of her hand.

"Mother fucker!" she shouted and pulled the needle out of her hand and turned around to the thug who had thrown it. He was already running for her, ready to tackle her to the ground. Gia waited for the right moment and them jumped, using the thug as a springboard to get to the other side so she could start running while he hit the ground.

"Don't let her go!" the first thug shouted. "I'm not letting twenty grand slip out of my hands again! Take her down!"

Gia heard what they said but didn't bother to question it. Right now, she just needed to find a way out. She had to leave her morpher behind, knowing that if she had wasted even a moment to pick it up, the thug would have successfully tackled her to the floor and she couldn't afford a disadvantage. She had already gotten into a fight with them once, and had it not been for Jordan's help, she would have been overpowered and outnumbered.

But as she glanced over her shoulder to see if they were right behind her, and distracted with trying to figure out the layout of the hospital to see if there was any way she could circle around and get a second chance at grabbing her morpher, she failed to notice an elderly man being pushed in a wheel chair by a nurse. She tripped over him and fell to the floor. She tried to get up quickly, but as she did she felt two strong pair of hands grab her.

"Sorry about that, nurse," one of the thugs said. "She's escaped. We'll get her back to the psych ward stat."

"I'm not a psych patient," Gia grumbled and tried to pull free, but with two of the thugs having a tight hold on her, and the other close by, she couldn't do much. "Let me go! They're kidnapping me."

"Breaks your heart, doesn't it, nurse?" one of the thugs looked at the nurse, who nodded her head and continued on her way with the elderly man. Gia continued to struggle as the men dragged her into one of the room.

"You can make this easier on all of us," the one standing off to the side told her, while the other two held her in place. "We're bringing you to your father and we're doing it one of two ways. You pick: easy or hard."

"I'm not a Goodall."

"He said you'd say that," the thug smirked and then pulled out a picture from his pocket. Gia saw it was a picture of her and Emma. The thug pointed to her. "This is you, isn't it?"

"I..."

"Your father is paying us to bring you in. Apparently, the two of you have a lot to talk about."

"You mean Mr. Goodall? He's not my dad!"

"He said you'd say that too."

"I'm not a Goodall!" Gia cried and wanted to let them know they had the wrong girl, but at the same time couldn't bring herself to rat Emma out. She had to admit, between the two of them, she did look the most like she could be Mr. Goodall's daughter, though that wasn't the case. It was easy to see how the thugs had gotten her and Emma mixed up.

"Just make this easier on all of us and come talk to your father."

Gia growled. Then, seeing how close the thug was, she decided to make another attempt to run. She had no control of her arms anymore because of the two men holding her, but she could still use her legs. With one swift kick, she caught the man between his legs. He let out a cry, grabbed himself, and dropped to the floor while the other two thugs winced painfully.

"You okay, boss?"

"The hard way it is..." the thug answered through gritted teeth. While they were distracted, Gia continued to struggle and tried to break free, especially when she felt one of the thugs let go of her arm with one hand. But before she could do much to help herself a cloth was placed over her nose and mouth. She knew what they were trying to do and held her breath and tried to pull back, but the thug pressed the cloth against her face and before long Gia started to feel weak.

-Megaforce-

While Troy made sure everything was just right for Ryan's bedtime, Rebecca was in the bedroom, on her bed, playing with the teddy bear that Noah had given her when he tried to ask her on a date. Truth be told, she hadn't put much thought into him romantically, but she did like him, she did think he was pretty cute, and she had bonded with him when she helped him train and defeat the latest alien. Now that he had shown an interest in her, she started to notice him in a way she hadn't before. He was kind and thoughtful and always seemed to put the needs of his friends before his own. He had a good head on his shoulders, with the exception of this day, and was generally the voice of reason in the group. He was very open minded, very smart. She would be stupid to pass up a chance at a date with Noah, and the more she thought about it, the more she felt a relationship was quite likely to come from this.

However, though she could make her own decisions, and she didn't need Troy's permission, he was her brother – her confidant. She didn't want to hide anything from him, especially under their conditions. Outside of their Ranger family, he and Ryan were all she had left. She couldn't keep him in the dark.

"Can I tell you something?"

Troy set Ryan in the crib, lifted the side and then turned to his oldest sister with a nod.

"Anything."

"Promise you won't go all stupidly protective big brother over it?"

"Depends."

Rebecca bit her lip, but decided to spit it out anyways, "Noah asked me out today... on a date."

"Noah doesn't date."

"I'm pretty sure it's a date. I got flowers and a bear and we're going to dinner tomorrow. I think he really likes me. He got all nervous. It was actually kind of cute, now that I think about it. I could tell he was a little sweaty, but it wasn't like gross sweaty, it was the kind of sweat that makes you just want to hug him and tell him everything's good."

"Rebecca..."

"I just wanted to tell you, just, you know, so you know," Rebecca shrugged. "Noah's a good guy, I'm sure we're going to have a lot of fun together. And he's one of your best friends, so clearly you have nothing to worry about."

"You shouldn't be dating," Troy shook his head. "This is a bad idea."

"What?" Rebecca frowned as she looked up at her brother. "Why can't I date?"

"You're vulnerable right now," Troy sat on the bed with her and put his arm around her shoulders. "You've never really been able to grieve over your mom until recently, our dad just drank himself to death after treating you like crap. He beat you up, Rebecca, and then died, and you're still trying to cope with that. Not to mention what happened to our parents just a few days ago. I know I'm still torn up by it. Even Ryan hasn't been sleeping very well, and she's just a baby."

"I'm coping with it, Troy," Rebecca said. "Besides, Noah's an understanding guy. If I need to take it slow or if I do something stupid..."

"You need to focus on yourself right now, Rebecca. You need to take some time to process everything that's happened, and just... be with family and friends. A relationship is a big deal and it's too much for you right now."

"Troy..."

"Postpone the date."

"But I like Noah. I can talk to him. I feel better when I'm around him."

"Just, postpone the date. I'm not saying you can't ever go out with him. I'm just saying right now isn't a good time."

"I'm sad about what happened, I really am, Troy, but... I'm tired of dwelling on it. I want to move on. I want something good to happen for once. I think I am ready."

"That's what makes you so vulnerable right now," Troy said. "You have all these emotions, all this pent up grief and fear and confusion and pushing it down, trying to pretend it's not there and that you don't have to deal with it isn't going to make it go away. You really should postpone it. I'll take you to dinner tomorrow. Just you, me, and Ryan. We can figure out how we're going to juggle this family thing, what we should be looking forward to..."

"I want to look forward to a date with a guy I really think I like," Rebecca said. Troy kissed her forehead.

"I'm just trying to look out for you. You'd do the same for me."

"Troy..."

"We've had a long day. Let me just get some water and then we'll both turn in for the night. We'll be thinking clearly tomorrow."

Rebecca rolled her eyes as her brother left the room, "I'm going on that date," she whispered to herself.

Meanwhile, Troy stepped out of the bedroom and into the main room. He found Jake and Noah together at the kitchen table, watching a DVD on Noah's computer. Without warning he closed the lid of the laptop and glared directly at the blue Ranger.

"How dare you."

"Dude, what the hell?" Jake frowned. "It was just getting to the funny part!"

"I never expected this from you!" Troy said and jabbed Noah in the chest with his finger. "What makes you think it's a smart move asking Rebecca out right now? What makes you think she's in a place where she can get involved romantically with someone?"

"I..."

"She's lost four parents in four years!" Troy shouted. "She's had to move homes three times. She was a pregnant teenager, her father slapped her and beat her up. She's had to give up a child! You think you can move in on a girl like that?"

"I'm not going to hurt her," Noah held up his hands defensively. Jake put his hand on Noah's shoulder and looked to Troy.

"Dude, Troy, relax. I know Noah. He'd never do anything to take advantage of a girl."

"I just want to go to dinner," Noah nodded in agreement with his best friend. "If she wants it to be something more than I'm fine with that..."

"She has no idea what she wants!" Troy shouted and smashed his fist down on the table. "She's scared, she's vulnerable, and she's sixteen. I don't care if you're my friend. Call it off."

"Troy, he doesn't have to do that," Jake stood up. "Noah's not going to hurt Rebecca. She's been through a lot, but if she thinks she can handle it..."

"Call it off, Carver," Troy growled, "Or I will become your worst nightmare."

"Back off, Troy," Jake said and shoved the red Ranger, and then stood between him and Noah until Troy retreated into his bedroom. He turned to Noah, "Hey, don't listen to him. That's probably just the big brother mode kicking in. And it's been a long day. Maybe in the morning, when he's had time to clear his head, he'll feel better about the whole thing."

"She has been through a lot..."

"Noah, you're not trying to hurt her. I know you, dude. If she changes her mind and what's to call it off, you're not going to put any pressure on her to stay. You're a great guy, and maybe you're exactly what she needs right now. Trust me on this, dude. Let her make her own decisions. As long as there's no pressure, it's fine."

"You sure?"

"Positive. And if the red guy tries anything, I've got your back."

"Thanks," Noah nodded his head.


	30. Trapped

When Gia came to, the first thing she felt was something tapping her cheek. She grunted and tried to move away, but she could barely will her body to move. Eventually she heard a faint call of her name and managed to crack her eyes open.

"Slowly," she heard. "Don't rush it."

She started to sit up but felt faint and like she was going to throw up. As her eyes adjusted to the light she had a look around. She saw shelves and boxes all around her, and one side of the wall was just a cage door.

"Where am I?"

"I wish I knew. How do you feel? How's your head? How many fingers am I holding up?"

Gia tried to focus on what was right in front of her, "Which hand are we talking about? The one on the left or right?"

"Well, that answers my question. Don't worry, Gia, this'll wear off soon. Just don't rush it. Lie down again if you have to."

Gia nodded and leaned forward to put her head in her hands. She took in a few deep breathes and the waited for the dizziness to pass. Suddenly, she recognized the voice and her head snapped up. She turned to the person next to her and gasped, "Claire!"

"Hey, sweetheart," Claire smiled and put a hand on her back. "I wish I could say I was happy to see you, and funnily enough, I wish I could say I wasn't glad to see you."

"What?"

"Jeff said they were bringing Emma. You have no idea how relieved I am they got you instead... and how sick it makes me feel."

"Jeff?"

Claire nodded her head, "Do you remember what happened?"

"I was at the hospital... Mom! Claire, what happened to mom?"

"Relax, she's fine. She's back at our temporary home," Claire assured her. "She was never in any trouble. Jeff and his cronies set this up."

"Set what up?"

"He broke out of prison," Claire explained. "He came up with this elaborate plan to try and take Emma back. He's dead set on taking her to New York, at all costs."

"So... refresh my memory a little more. Why are we here?"

"I'm insurance. Last thing I remembered, I was in the parking lot, loading the groceries into my car. Next thing I knew, I was here. If Emma doesn't agree to go to New York with him the first time he's asks, he's going to kill me."

"He's... he can't do that."

"Those guys that brought you here, Jeff's promised to pay them if they could bring Emma in."

"I'm not Emma," Gia shook her head.

"There was a bit of a mix up, apparently. Jeff showed them a picture of you and Emma so they knew who they were looking for, but I guess he never made it clear who was who. They thought he wanted you and so they did everything they could to track you down, thinking you were her. He was pretty pissed when they dragged you in."

"And here I thought he loved it when I popped in for visits," Gia rolled her eyes. She carefully lifted herself to her feet and started to look around the storage cage for a way out, but saw no doors except for the cage door, and there were no windows anywhere.

"I've looked," Claire said. "I've tried. There's no way out."

"There's gotta be," Gia insisted. "We've got to get out of here. You've got to get back home and we can't let him use either of us as bait. Emma can't be here."

"Well, well, look who's finally up," Jeff announced as he walked up to the cage door. Gia, as soon as she heard his voice, ran to the door and smashed against it angrily with her fists. The cage door rattled, but it didn't give out in anyway. Jeff chuckled, "You get that temper from your father. I remember whenever Joe got really angry..."

"Shut up," Gia growled. "Just shut up, ass-wipe. You're not getting away with this."

Jeff smirked, "I'll admit, having you around wasn't the plan. If those boneheads I hired could do their job right, I'd already be on my way to New York with my daughter."

"You're a fucking creep," Gia seethed. "If I were you, I would pray I never get out of here. If I get just one chance, you're dead!"

"Gia, calm down," Claire pulled her away from the door. "You can't expect Jeff to listen to reason. He's always been self-involved."

"Me? Self-involved?" Jeff scoffed. "What about you? Everything was always about you? You never had a minute for me, and I'm the bad guy? I'm the one Emma never wants to be around. While you were jetting off around the world with that man slut you called a boyfriend, I was working my ass off!"

"Work was all you ever did," Gia growled. "You never put Emma first!"

"Gia, please," Claire hugged the yellow Ranger in an effort to keep her calm. She knew if Gia lost her cool things would turn real ugly, real fast. She turned back to Jeff, "I've made my mistakes. I'll admit, I was a horrible mother and a horrible wife. To this day, I'm still suffering for it..."

"Yeah, suffering? You mean that big mansion you live in now is suffering? Having your best friend with you all the time, that's suffering? What about, somehow earning the love of my daughter?"

"I've paid dearly for what I've done to her," Claire said. "And I'm still working hard every day to make up for all of my mistakes. You had a chance to do the same and you blew it!"

"You sabotaged me. You filled her head with crap about how _I'm_ the horrible father to make yourself look good. That poor girl's got no idea what a liar and a manipulator you are!"

"Says the man using his daughter's mother and best friend as bait," Gia rolled her eyes. Jeff punched the door of the cage.

"Don't even get me started on how you've manipulated her. You, your parents. Joe especially! You filled her head with lies, made her think she wanted to stay with you. You made her think I was a crap father!"

"You are a crappy father!"

"As soon as Emma gets here; as soon as she decides she's coming with me to New York, I'm killing you both."

"Not if I kill you first," Gia growled.

"Gia, please, settle down," Claire insisted and then gently pushed Gia to the back of the storage room. "Go sit down. Take a minute."

"But..."

"I've got this."

Gia grumbled and reluctantly started to move to the back of the room, but before she got too far from the door, she spun around suddenly and smashed her fists against the cage, which startled Jeff and made him jump. Gia smirked as she walked to the back and sat down on the floor.

"Killing her will be fun," Jeff commented and then turned to Claire, "She was always an annoying brat."

"She's been better for Emma than either of us," Claire shook her head. "Jeff, I know you're hurting, but this is... ridiculous."

"Emma's not going to be happy at first, I know," Jeff nodded his head. "But over time, all those lies in her head will disappear. She'll realize I was always there for her and I love her. She's better off with me."

"Jeff..."

"And if I have to kill both of you for her to see that, I will."

"Jeffery, please, just... think logically for a minute. Think about how we both were as parents. Think about how often we were actually home. How many times did we have to ask Joe and Vanessa to watch Emma for days, weeks, and sometimes even months at a time, just so we could do our travelling?"

"I am her father."

"If this is about what makes Emma happy..."

"I know what makes my daughter happy! I know I'm doing what's best for her! Once I get you out of her life and I finally shut up that wicked brat..."

"Do whatever you want to me," Claire said. "Just don't hurt Gia."

"I'm looking forward to that part," Jeff smirked. Claire hit the cage to get his attention as his eyes strayed over to Gia.

"Jeff, don't. You don't need to kill her. You don't need to hurt her. I'll be enough. Don't get Gia involved."

"She got involved when she convinced my daughter..."

"Do whatever you want to me," Claire continued to insist. "Torture me, kill me, I don't care. Have your way with me. Make my life a living hell. Don't hurt Gia. You don't have to, and Emma's only going to resent you more if you take us both away from her like this."

"I've got you both, I might as well use all the ammo I can get..."

"Don't touch Gia, and I'll convince Emma to go with you," Claire whispered. Jeff finally turned to her, intrigued.

"Keep talking..."

"When Emma gets here, and trust me, it won't be long before she figures out what happened and shows up, I'll tell how I've been lying to her this whole time and that you're actually the only person she can trust. You don't need to hurt Gia. No one has to die. Emma will go with you, and Gia and I won't bother you anymore."

"You better not be lying to me," Jeff said as he reached into his pocket and pulled out the key to the padlock keeping the cage door shut. He opened it and quickly pulled Claire out. Just when Claire thought she would be able to get away with her scheme, she saw Jeff pull out a gun from his other pocket, and before she could stop him, he fired it. Inside, the cage, which he shut and locked immediately after shooting the gun, Claire watched Gia cry out, lean forward, and grab her shoulder painfully.

"Jeff!"

"I didn't touch her. You better be right about Emma coming soon," Jeff smirked, and then swallowed the small keys. "I've got a spare hidden around here. I'll only tell you where it is _after_ you tell Emma exactly what I want you to say."


	31. The Ice-Cream Shop

Emma couldn't sleep and sat up in her bed to glance across the room at the other one. It was empty. She was alone in her room and it left her feeling very unsettled. After training, Gia had received a phone call and before anyone could ask her what it was, Gia had taken off. Emma had a pit in her stomach since, and it had only gotten bigger as time went on.

She made up her mind and decided she wasn't going to waste her time trying to sleep. She threw off the blankets and walked out to the main room. All the others were asleep in their beds except for one. Emma should have known Jake would be up. The green Ranger was by his console. It seemed he had been up for a couple of hours already.

"I was expecting you a while ago," Jake said. "What? You and Jordan too busy making out?"

"Jordan's sleeping in your room," Emma frowned, a little insulted of what Jake was implying. The green Ranger grumbled and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Sorry, I'm just frustrated," he answered. "I've been looking for hours."

"Found anything?"

"It's not good," Jake shook his head. "I've managed to locate her morpher. At some point, she was in the hospital. Tensou helped me tap into the security cameras. All I found was this."

Jake showed her an empty hallway on the screen. Emma stared at it for a moment before she frowned and turned to Jake, "What am I looking at, exactly?"

"I took me a while too, but look, right by the wall, under that gurney," Jake said. Emma took another look and noticed there was something sitting on the floor. When she looked closer she recognized it was Gia's morpher.

"She better be dead," Emma muttered. "Because if she's not, I'm going to kill her."

"I replayed some of the footage from earlier," Jake said. "Gia was at the hospital. She walked in just after teleporting here. I can't read lips, but based on what Tensou told me, she was looking for her mom."

"What? Why?"

Jake showed Emma the footage from when Gia first got to the hospital and asked after her mother. There was no sound, but Emma could tell based on Gia's body language that Jake was right. Gia had a distinct behaviour when she was scared and angry at once, and usually that only happened when someone she cared about was hurt. It wasn't a stretch to assume that Tensou's lip reading skills were right.

"Is Vanessa in the hospital?" Emma asked. Jake shook his head.

"I checked the records. There's no record of her, or anyone matching her description. Unless she gained about a hundred pounds since you last saw her and changed her name to Beverly Jones."

"So, if Vanessa's not in the hospital, why would Gia be there asking after her?" Emma asked, but he question was answered when Gia stormed into one of the hallways and bumped into a doctor and things quickly went south. The doctor, with help from two others, attacked, and just before Gia could morph, Emma watched the one behind her best friend throw a needle right at her hand, causing Gia to drop her morpher. "I'm gonna glue that thing to her hand."

"Whoever took her," Jake said, "it looks like they knew exactly what to do to get her. Gia's done some stupid stuff, but I don't think she meant to walk into this one."

"If she got a call that her mother was in the hospital, it wouldn't even cross her mind that this was a trap," Emma shook her head. "But who would go after her?"

"That's what I've been trying to figure out," Jake said, "But I can't. I have no idea who those guys are or where they took her."

"What do you mean? She's in the hospital, isn't she?"

"Her morpher is, but those guys dragged her into a room, did something to her, and then snuck her out of the hospital. She was limp."

"In a room? Three guys took her alone in a room?"

"It was just a couple of minutes," Jake assured her, but Emma looked like she was ready to throw up. "They dragged her to the parking lot, put her in the back of their car and then drove off. Beyond the hospital grounds, I can't see anything."

"We have to find her."

"Yeah, I know," Jake nodded. "I've been trying to use the scanners to look for her, but without the morpher, it's a lot harder."

Emma was about to turn on her console to let a hand when she heard her cell phone ring. She jumped to answer it, hoping it was Gia on the other end. Who it really was surprised her.

"Emma, sweetheart..."

"Mom? You aren't supposed to call. Vekar already knows who you are, and if he figures out where you are, you..."

"Emma, I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't have to. Do you remember that old ice-cream shop I used to take you? After your father and I would tell you we were going on vacation and you'd get angry we weren't taking you?"

"Yeah? Mom, that place shut down years ago. You can't get ice-cream there."

"You're not coming for ice-cream."

"I know that..."

"Emma, please, just show up. And hurry. There's something we need to talk about."

"I can't talk, mom," Emma shook her head. "We're a little busy right now. Look, don't freak out, and don't say anything to Vanessa but something happened to Gia and..."

"Yes, sweetheart. I know, and I'm sorry."

"Wait, what?"

"We'll talk about it when you get here, okay?"

"Mom..."

"Please, Emma. Let's just get this over with. The old ice-cream shop. Hurry."

After that, the call ended. Emma looked down at her phone and then up at Jake.

"That was weird," Jake said and Emma nodded her head.

"Too weird. Come on."

-Megaforce-

At the old ice-cream shop, Claire hung up the phone and then handed it back to Jeff. He took it back from her, but kept the gun pointed at her head.

"Is she coming?"

"She'll be here soon," Claire nodded and then glanced over to the storage cage, where Gia was doing what she could to cover the wound from when Jeff shot her in the shoulder. "She needs a doctor, Jeff."

"I can be a doctor," one of Jeff's thug friends tugged on the lab coat he had stolen from the hospital and rose to his feet. "You know, seeing as she's not your daughter, I can take my payment in a different way."

"You lay one filthy hand on her and I'll..."

"Claire, relax," Jeff pushed his ex-wife back down in her seat, and reminded her of the gun he had pointed to her head. He looked to his friend, "You can do whatever you want _after_ I get my daughter."

Claire's stomach sunk, "Jeff, the deal was if I made that call, nothing else happened to Gia."

"No, the deal was you make that call and convince Emma to go home with me or that thing bleeds to death."

"That thing is your best friend's daughter," Claire growled. "Come on, Jeff, what would Joe think about this? About what you're doing?"

"Joe started this," Jeff growled. "He took Emma. If he had just let me take her home, like I asked, none of this would have happened."

"They took care of Emma," Claire insisted. "They raised her for us. Joe would never hurt you like that. You two were best friends. You grew up together. You were practically brothers!"

"Yeah, sure," Jeff rolled his eyes.

"He'd never do anything to hurt you, Jeff," Claire shook her head. "Look, when Vanessa called me and asked me to give up my rights to Emma, I was pissed at first too. But then I thought about it I knew Emma was happier with them."

"Because they brainwashed her!"

"They took care of her, Jeff! They never threatened to take her away from home and her friends. They've never brought a gun to have a conversation with her, or threatened to kill her best friend when things didn't go their way. They never kidnapped her mother in some stupid, reckless plan to get her to live with them, and they certainly never threatened to have her best friend bleed out unless she agreed to move to New York!"

"They have their ways, I have mine."

"Do you have any idea how ridiculous you sound! Even for a mad man, this is too far!"

"I will do whatever needs to be done to take my daughter home!"

Claire glared up at her ex-husband and felt a powerful, boiling rage deep inside of her. There was so much she wanted to do to hurt him, so many ways she imagined causing him pain and suffering for the rest of his life to punish him for everything he was doing. But one way stood out over all, and she couldn't help herself from blurting it out.

"She's not your daughter."

"Yes she is!"

"No, she's not," Claire shook her head and knew she had to twist her story a bit to get Jeff to believe the truth. "That promise I made not to sleep around while we were trying to conceive... I lied."

"You..."

"One night, you were out of town, so I went to a bar, had a few drinks, and I fell for a guy. A James, Clifford Morris. He was a passionate lover, ten times better than you'll ever be. He's Emma's father."

"You... You slept... you're lying."

"Really? Given what our marriage was, did you really think that was a promise I would keep? You weren't giving me any kids, despite all our efforts, so I decided to look elsewhere."

"She is my daughter!"

"She's not," Claire smirked. "There's not a drop of blood shared between the two of you. It was all a lie. James is her father."

Jeff slapped her across the face and then stormed off angrily. Claire could hear him throwing his tantrum out in the shop, and figured the crashing and thumps she heard was him throwing around the chairs and knocking over tables. Her cheek stung, but she knew he was hurting a lot more, and a satisfied grin crossed her face.

"Claire!" she heard and turned to the cage to see Gia had walked herself over to the door. The thugs had gone to try and calm Jeff down, so it was just the two of them in the back. Claire ran up to the door.

"I'll find the spare key..."

"What did you do?" Gia asked her.

"I'm getting us out of here. If I can just find that key..."

"Screw the key, there's no time to look! Call Emma!" Gia pointed to the cell phone Jeff left on one of the prep tables. "Jeff's not going to hesitate to kill her if she comes!"

"He'd never do that..."

"You just told a maniac with a gun that his beloved daughter wasn't his!"

"I... Shit, I didn't even think of that."

"Call her! Now!"

"She's probably already on her way. Dammit, Gia. What did I just do?"

"Run," Gia whispered to her. "Emma's going to be coming from the command center. If you go straight out that drive through window, you're sure to run into her."

"I'm not leaving you here," Claire shook her head and looked down at Gia's bloodied shoulder.

"Nothing he does to me will hurt more than if he kills Emma," Gia assured the older woman with a little forced smile. "Go, Claire. Just run. Warn her what she's getting into. Make sure the Rangers are coming. I'll be fine."

Claire looked to the yellow Ranger before reluctantly turning and heading for what had been a drive-thru window. She climbed out and when she was on the other side she looked back in at Gia.

"Go, I'll be fine," Gia whispered. Claire nodded her head and then started running.


	32. Dead To Me

Claire felt her lungs burning, but she couldn't stop running. She followed the path she assumed Emma would take from the command center to the ice-cream shop and prayed she would bump into her daughter. If she didn't, both the girls, both her girls, were in a lot of trouble.

Seeing Jeff had shown her a lot. Ignoring his crazy, Claire saw a lot of herself in her ex-husband. Until she got the reality check she needed from Vanessa, she had the same logic as Jeff. The simple fact of being Emma's mother made her think that whatever she did for her daughter was the right thing. Fortunately, she had come a long way since then, and was determined not to let her flawed thinking or mad ex-husband hurt Emma again.

She turned a corner around a building and collided into someone. She apologized profusely and jumped to her feet. She was about to run when she recognised her daughter and Jake, "Emma!"

"Mom!" Emma threw her arms around her mother. She hugged her tight for a moment and then pulled away. "Mom, what the hell's going on? Why are you in town? What's with the ice-cream shop?"

"You have to go back to the command center," Claire said. Emma shook her head.

"No. What? Why?"

"I'll explain it all later. Just go to the command center and then tell the boys to meet me and Jake at the shop."

"Why?" Emma asked.

"Mrs. Goodall, what's going on?" Jake asked. Claire shook her head.

"There's no time to explain. Just go home, Emma."

"What about Gia? You said you knew something happened..."

"Go home!" Claire yelled. Emma looked hurt and backed away from her mother. Claire knew she would have to explain a lot later but that wasn't her concern. Getting Emma somewhere safe was. She judged the look on Emma's face as a promise that her daughter was about to do as she asked, and Emma did start to turn back, but then before Claire could stop her she turned back suddenly and took off towards the ice-cream shop. Claire gasped as she watched her daughter go and then turned to Jake. He shrugged.

"Just for the record, if you tell one the other's in trouble, that's always going to happen. It's annoyingly sweet."

"We have to stop her," Claire grabbed Jake's arm and started to run, pulling the green Ranger along with her. "She's running right to Jeff! He's going to kill her!"

"What?"

"I'll explain everything later! Go!"

Jake nodded and ran ahead. He pulled out his morpher as he did, "Hey, Noah, Troy, we've got a bit of a situation on our hands. Bring the keys, too. There's an ass in desperate need of a legendary whooping!"

-Megaforce-

After Claire disappeared, Gia took cover behind one of the shelves. Because she was trapped in a storage cage, there were a few places for her to hide. The door to the cage could only see a small part of what was inside, and if Gia tucked herself behind the shelves and boxes, she couldn't be seen by anyone looking in.

She sat on the floor and pulled her hand away from her shoulder. She had bled quite a bit already. Her shirt and jacket were both stained with blood, and her hand was almost completely red. She had managed to press against the wound and slow the bleeding, and the bullet was still inside her shoulder, which helped somewhat, though she knew that would make treating the wound a lot more complicated once she got home. Still, if it meant going home, and if all her friends were there with her, safe, she would gladly lose the entire arm.

"What do you mean, she's not here?" she suddenly heard Jeff shout to one of his thugs. "You mean you all left her unattended?"

"Hey, our job was to get your daughter here. We aren't being paid to babysit..."

"She's not my daughter, and she's not here!" Jeff screamed. Gia pressed her hand against her wound and made herself as small as possible. She hoped that in his rage, Jeff would forget all about her. Without her morpher, and with her shoulder the way it was, she had little ways to defend herself. And Jeff had a gun.

But then she heard a shot, followed by another, followed by a grunt, and then followed by one last shot. Gia couldn't bring herself to peek out of her hiding spot to see what had happened or who was shot. As much as she didn't want to face the thugs again, a big part of her hoped they decided not to take Jeff's crap and turned the gun on him.

But then she heard the cage door rattle and Jeff's voice screaming for her. "Gia! Gia! Where the hell are you, you good-for-nothing, pathetic bitch!"

Gia's heart sunk. If that was Jeff calling for her then she worried about the three shots. Up until now, Jeff was just a mad man who had almost killed her. She had no idea what prison had done to him, or how the revelation of Emma's real father had messed him up, but he was no longer just a crazy, desperate bastard. She couldn't hear the groans from the thugs, and she knew how much it hurt to be shot. She knew if they were still alive, she could hear some painful cries.

Now she was trapped in a cage with a crazy, angry, murdering mad man, and she had no way to defend herself if he thought to get that spare key and pointed the gun right at her. She tucked her knees into her chest, put a little more pressure on her shoulder and lowered her head. As Jeff screamed for her, threatening to kill her the moment he saw her, she was completely still and kept quiet, except for a soft whisper under her breath.

"Milk."

Meanwhile, Jeff continued to pound on the cage with his fists. He knew Gia was inside. There was no way she could have gotten out. He had swallowed the first key and had lied to Claire about the spare. He never had any intention of letting his two hostages go, and would have left his thug friends to kill them after he took off with Emma. The less witnesses he had, the better.

Just as it dawned on him to shoot the padlock so he could get inside he heard a knock on one of the walls. He had shot and killed all three of the thugs he hired after finding out they let Claire get away, so he had no idea who could have come by except for Emma. He turned around; expecting to see the girl he had always believed was his daughter. Instead, he found himself face to face with a gun, a sword, and the newest pink Ranger.

There was a lot of talk around the prison about the Rangers. Some of the criminals there had been arrested during a Ranger battle, believing it was safe for them to try and sneak out of the city while everyone was taking cover; no one had ever been arrested or came face to face with the Rangers. They stuck to destroying monsters and left crime to the police officers. He never expected one to show up. He was scared, and did all he could think of doing. He held up his gun and shot at the pink Ranger. She didn't flinch. She barely moved at all except to raise her sword. His bullet hit the flat side and was deflected to the wall.

"I'm not a monster," he told her. "I'm human! I swear! Don't hurt me!"

"Where is she?" Emma screamed. Jeff looked at her curiously.

"Who?"

"Gia. The girl."

"She's... she's... there," Jeff pointed to the cage door. "Please don't hurt me. Please. I'm, I'm not a monster!"

"I beg to differ," Emma muttered. She kept her blaster in her hand but put her sword away as she walked up to the cage. She grabbed the lock. She thought about blasting it open, but knew Gosei would have something to say about abusing her powers. She turned to her father, "Where's the key?"

"I... I... here?" her father pointed to his stomach. Emma frowned behind her helmet and tilted her head.

"Did you eat it? Seriously?" Her father nodded. Emma groaned, "You're kidding me."

"Please, just leave me alone," Jeff pleaded desperately and set his gun down on the floor. He held up his hands afterwards so Emma could see he was unarmed, "I'm just looking for my daughter. I just wanted to take her home. I didn't mean for all this to happen but there was a mix up and..."

"A mix up?"

"Those bastards got her friend instead," Jeff nodded and pointed to the three dead bodies lying on the floor. Emma finally noticed them and had to contain her shock. She knew her father had threatened to kill once, and though she had her doubts at the time, she never thought he would actually go through with it. "It was just a mix up, okay. My daughter's on her way. When she gets here, we'll leave and you can take the girl."

"Just a mix up? So are those guys napping in fruit juice?" Emma asked and pointed to the bodies. Her father glanced at the bodies and then shrugged.

"I'm not a bad guy, okay. I just want to see my daughter. I want to talk to her. I have to make things right between us."

"What makes you think you can?" Emma asked him. "After all this, what makes you think she'll look at you the same way again? What makes you think she'll want a father like you?"

"I've been doing my best," Jeff said. "My... my ex-best friend... he... he kidnapped her. I've been trying to get her back. I've been trying to tell her I'll take care of her, and that's she's better off with me. Just let me go. She doesn't have to see this, you can save the girl and we'll just act like this never happened. It's win-win?"

Emma shook her head, "What if she does see this. What do you think she'll do? Do you really think she'll believe you? Do you really think kidnapping and murder are ways to get your daughter back?"

"You have no idea what I've been through! Just do your hero thing, save the girl, and leave me and my family alone!"

"This is wrong!" Emma shouted. "No father would do this! No man in their right mind would ever do anything like this!"

"I am a father! I raised her! I gave her food, a home, and an education! I bought her toys!"

"It takes more than that to be a dad!"

"She's not even my kid!" Jeff shouted and Emma took a step back when she heard it.

"How, how do you know that?"

"She's not my kid! My ex-wife just told me that! But I don't care! I want her! I'm going to get her back, no matter what it takes! No one's going to stand in my way!" Jeff leaned forward and picked up his gun. He pointed it at the pink Ranger, "Move! I don't care who you are! I'll kill you and I'll kill the girl. And if she thinks she can get away, I'm gonna fucking kill her too."

Jeff fired another shot at Emma, but in his haste he missed. The pink Ranger, once again, didn't flinch. She didn't even move. She just stared at him. Jeff, seeing he missed, tried to fire again but the gun was out of bullets. He tried several times, but nothing. He threw the gun aside.

"Dammit!"

Emma could barely see past her watering eyes, but she knew her father was now unarmed and decided not to hide anymore. She could take him if he tried to fight her. Without powering down, just in case she needed her sword or blaster, she removed her helmet. By the time she got her hair out of her face, her father was paralyzed, staring at her.

"Emma!" she heard her name from the front of the shop just before the boys, all three of which were morphed, showed up.

Emma looked to the boys, and then back at her father. She shook her head, "All you had to do was apologize," she told him. "Back at the prison, the last time I saw you. You just had to say you were sorry."

"I... I was doing my best," her father whispered. "Joe and Vanessa had no right..."

"They had every right!" Emma shouted. "Biological or not, you were a horrible father! I don't care how much money you spent on me. I don't care about food or a home or any of that! I'm happier living in a cave with Gia and my friends than I ever was at home!"

"Emma..."

"All you had to do was apologize!" Emma screamed.

"I'm... I'm sorry..." Jeff whispered. "I am, Emma. I'm sorry. I just thought I was doing my best. I..."

"I don't want to hear it," Emma shook her head. "It's too late."

"What do I have to do?" Jeff took a step forward, but as soon as he did the green, red, and blue Rangers all grabbed him. He tried to pull free, but they weren't letting him go. He looked to Emma, "I'll do anything. I'm so sorry, Emma. I didn't... I just..."

"Where's the key?" Emma asked and pointed to the lock. Jeff shook his head.

"I told you, I swallowed it."

"Seriously?" Noah asked. "Do you have no idea how dangerous that could be?"

"It was small," Jeff shrugged. "It was the only one."

"Why would you swallow the only key?" Emma asked him.

"I... I wasn't thinking..."

"How were you going to let her out?" Emma shouted.

"I... I didn't think it through..."

"Don't lie to me!" she screamed. "You weren't going to let her out! You weren't even going to let mom go, were you?"

Jeff lowered his head, "I didn't care what happened to them. I was going to leave that up to the guys," he pointed to the three dead bodies. "Emma, please, I'm really sorry. I'll go back to jail. I'll do my time for this, and I'll do anything to make it up to you..."

"You're dead to me," Emma growled before she turned around used her blaster to blow up the lock. The door swung open after that and she called for Gia. She heard no answer except a cry from behind her from one of the boys, and turned around just in time to see her father had snatched Noah's blaster from his belt and then used it to shoot himself in the head. The boys all jumped back as the rest of Jeff's body hit the ground without his head. It was nowhere to be found.

"So... that's why Gosei always says not to train with these," Jake said and put his hand over his stomach. Noah looked like he was about to throw up in his helmet as he jerked forward.

"I'm gonna be sick."

"Emma," Troy looked over to the pink Ranger. Emma shook her head and then started to look around inside the storage cage. She didn't feel any pain or guilt for what her father had done. If anything, she felt relieved.


	33. A Horrible Friend

Jake rubbed his face as he walked out of the girls' bedroom. Tensou was still inside finishing up with the bandage for Gia's shoulder, but he had already reassured Jake that everything would be fine. Jake had a hard time believing it, but the little robot had never steered him wrong before.

Almost as soon as he stepped into the main room, he bumped into Noah. The blue Ranger looked at him.

"I can cancel my date if you need me tonight," Noah said. Jake shook his head and pat his friend on the back.

"It's fine, dude. Go have fun. No need to bail. Besides, Rebecca looks like she can use the night out."

Jake pointed to the kitchen table, where Rebecca was sitting staring down at the mug of hot chocolate Troy had made. When she heard what had happened she had been more than just a little upset and scared for all her friends. Troy made her the warm drink to try and calm her down, but it didn't seem to be working as well as the red Ranger hoped.

Jake nudged Noah forward, "Go talk to her."

"Troy's there. After the way he blew up before..."

"Show him you've got Rebecca's best interest at heart," Jake said. Noah gulped but nodded his head and made his way over to the table. He put a gentle hand on Rebecca's back and smiled when she looked at him. He could feel Troy's glare burning into him, but cheering Rebecca up was all he wanted to do and all he cared about.

"Everything's going to be fine," he promised her. "The bad guys lost, and they aren't going to bother us anymore."

"I heard," Rebecca nodded. "It's just scary when you think about it. It's not just aliens we have to worry about, but regular people too."

"I get the feeling Mr. Goodall was the last of them," Noah said. "Everyone else knows we're dead. Even if they have a grudge, there's nothing they can do."

Noah nudged her gently, "Besides, we're Power Rangers. A petty criminal is no match for us."

"They got Gia. Tensou said it'll be a few days before her shoulder's healed enough for him to do his laser magic stuff. Not to mention, if that bullet had hit anywhere else..."

"Sometimes it's better not to think about what could have happened," Noah said. "It kind of drives you crazy, and for what? It's not like it happened. Gia's not dead. She's not even losing an arm. We won."

"Maybe it would be better if we never left the command center without spandex," Rebecca said. "Or in my case, ever."

"Hey, you're probably the safest person here," Noah smiled and took her hand. "Your brother's red, your step-brother is green, you're pretty much sisters with pink and yellow, and you know I'll never let anything happen to you, right?"

"Tonight can we just... maybe do dinner in our rooms?" Rebecca asked. "You know, just to be safe."

"If it makes you feel better, that's what we'll do," Noah nodded. "If he's not busy, maybe I'll ask Jake to be our waiter. How does that sound?"

"Good."

Noah smiled. He squeezed her hand, "Hey, everything's going to be fine. We're Power Rangers. No one gets the better of us. Not for long, anyways."

"Yeah, you're right," Rebecca smiled. "I mean, I guess it would be stupid to collect the action figures of losers."

"Yeah, exactly," Noah chuckled. He put his arm around Rebecca, "What if we watched a movie? You know, to take our minds off what just happened?"

"Do you like cartoons?"

"Will it cheer you up?"

"Yep."

"Let's do it," Noah nodded and got up with Rebecca to go to her room. On the way, he grabbed his laptop so they would have something to play the movie. Troy watched them go and clenched his fists, but didn't say anything. Even he had to admit Noah had done a better job cheering Rebecca up than he had. It was a relief and it angered him at the same time.

Meanwhile, over by the couches, Jake flopped down and let out a groan, "We really dodged a bullet there... uh, that's not what I meant..."

"How is she?" Emma asked.

"Tensou says she'll be fine. No long term damage. Even if there was, that laser thing of his could fix it. We'll have Gia back, good as new, by next week."

"Good," Emma said and rubbed her stomach with her hand. Jordan put his arm around her.

"Hey, Em, it's not your fault. It was just a mix up. Besides, I'm sure Gia was glad it was her and not you. You know what she's like."

"You're not helping," Emma shook her head and then stood up. She turned to her mother, who was curled up beside her on the couch, biting her thumb. "Mom, do you need anything?"

"I'm fine," Claire answered. She was waiting for Vanessa to come by to get her. Even though Tensou promised he could teleport her straight home, Claire didn't want to be alone. Emma had sent a message to Vanessa and was just waiting for her to read it and come by. She doubted it would be long.

"I'm gonna go check up on Gia, then," Emma said and started for the bedrooms. Jake looked over his shoulder.

"She's sleeping," he called, but Emma still walked into the room. Jake sighed, shook his head, and then turned to Jordan and Claire, "So, what went down?"

"Long story short, Emma was supposed to be kidnapped," Jordan said. "Her dad asked those thugs to snatch her, but they thought he meant Gia. If they are the guys from the alley, I'm sure that's why they attacked."

"How did they get her cell phone number? I mean, that's quite obviously Gia's," Jake said.

"Jeff gave them the home address. Told them to gather up as much of Emma's things as possible," Claire said. "We've got the girls' phone numbers up on the fridge. We don't put names next to them. The last four digits are always birthdays. That's how we tell them apart. They must have seen it and then called until someone answered."

"Double mix up," Jake said with a groan and leaned back in the couch.

Jordan shook his head. He showed Jake Emma's phone, "Not really. Because no one ever calls her, Emma pretty much just keeps her phone in her room. The battery died a few days ago. Turns out, the first guess was right. They tried calling her three times from the hospital before they called Gia and she answered. Now Emma's feeling guilty. It was her dad, her kidnapping, her call..."

"I'd feel pretty shitty too," Jake nodded and then he turned to Claire, "What about you? Weren't you in San Angeles or whatever?"

"Jeff tracked me down. I was actually a target," Claire said. "He was going to use me to convince Emma to go with him."

"The important thing is we're all home, and those four bastards are dead... uh, no offence, Mrs. Goodall."

"_Ex_-husband," Claire reminded him. "And for a reason. Dead or alive, he'd be dead to me anyways."

"I'm just glad we can put that all behind us," Jake said.

"We hope," Jordan shook his head. "Emma says she feels nothing for her dad's death, but she's not the kind to just shrug stuff like that off."

"I don't know," Jake said. "This might be the one time that doesn't apply. You didn't see her there, Jordan. She was _pissed_."

"But Emma's not..."

"Dude, given everything he's put her through, it's really no surprise she doesn't care about him," Jake said. "I mean, mom just called Gia a few names and I cut her out of my life."

"Yeah, but if she suddenly died, wouldn't you be sad?"

"Well... she did only just call Gia a couple of names. If she kidnapped my dad and Noah and threatened to kill them both, probably not."

"You're not like, Emma, though."

"Dude, believe me," Jake smiled, "Emma's probably just glad this is over with and Mrs. Goodall and Gia are safe. But if she does start to sink, I'll help out anyway I can."

"Thanks," Jordan smiled. Just then, he, Jake, Claire, and Troy all turned to the entrance as someone hurried in. For a moment they were all worried it was an attack, but when they saw it was only Vanessa they could breathe again. Claire jumped up from the couch and ran to her best friend.

"I was up all night worried about you!" Vanessa said as she hugged Claire tightly. "What the hell happened? Why are we here?"

"I'll explain it all to you when we get home," Claire said without letting go of her best friend. "Right now, I just need to be home."

Vanessa nodded her head. She could understand that much, but a big part of her didn't want to leave yet. She knew she shouldn't, but she asked anyways, "Can I just see the girls for a minute?"

The room fell completely silent. Vanessa looked around at all the nervous faces and frowned.

"They... they are here, aren't they? I saw the news for the fight yesterday and they were there. They were alive."

At that very moment, with the worst timing, Tensou rolled out of Gia and Emma's bedroom with bloodied towels and bandages which he was taking to be cleaned. Vanessa saw the little robot, saw the amount of blood he was carrying with him and her heart sunk.

"What... what happened? What's going on?"

"Vanessa, you're here!" Tensou seemed to light up when he saw Vanessa was at the command center, but then he remembered the towels and bandages in his hand and quickly placed them behind his back, "Uh... whoops. You weren't meant to see that..."

"The girls are fine, Vanessa," Claire reassured her best friend. "I promise. I wouldn't tell you otherwise if..."

"That's not fine!" Vanessa shouted and pointed to the blood. Claire grabbed her arms and tried to look her in the eyes, but Vanessa wouldn't look away from the bedroom door.

"You remember what Emma wanted. We have to leave, for our own safety. If we stay too long..."

"Screw it," Vanessa shook her head. She pulled free of Claire and stormed inside the bedroom without knocking. Her eyes first fell on Emma, who jumped up from a chair when she heard the door open. Vanessa ran to hug her, "Thank goodness you're okay."

"I'm fine," Emma nodded and embraced the older woman tightly. "Vanessa, I'm sorry..."

"Don't worry about it," Vanessa shook her head and looked Emma in the eye. She smiled softly. "I get why you asked us to move. It's hard, but I know you'll beat these aliens. We'll be back to normal one day."

"It's... it's not that," Emma said and then stepped away from the bed to show Vanessa what had happened. Tensou had covered Gia's shoulder in a dressing after he removed the bullet, cleaned and stitched it up. He had also placed her shoulder in a sling so that she wouldn't move it around too much and tear the stitches or injure herself further. He could repair nearly any damage with his laser, as he had proven before, but the more she hurt herself, the longer it would take to heal. Vanessa's jaw dropped and she covered her mouth with her hand as she looked down at her daughter. Emma explained, "It should have been me."

Vanessa shook her head. She put her arms around Emma, "No, sweetheart. Don't think that way."

"It... it's true. Dad wanted me."

"Dad? Your father is..."

"Long story. Mom will explain it, I'm sure," Emma said. "I'm just... I'm sorry, Vanessa. I got there as soon as I could but... he'd already shot her."

"Shot!" Vanessa cried. When she saw the dressing she had assumed it was just an injury from fighting. A cut and a dislocated shoulder, maybe. She couldn't believe her daughter had actually been shot – with a real gun and a real bullet.

"She's fine," Emma promised. "She was awake when I found her. She was awake the whole way home, too. She fell asleep in Jake's arms while Tensou was working on her shoulder and she's been out since."

Vanessa walked up next to the bed and gently placed her hand on her daughter's cheek. She stroked her gently with her thumb until Gia started to stir. She opened her eyes and seemed confused to see her mother standing over her.

"What... what's going on? Mom?"

"I know I shouldn't be here," Vanessa whispered, "But can I sit with you? Just for a little while?"

Gia nodded her head and shifted slightly in bed to make room for her mother. Emma watched as Vanessa crawled into the bed and left the mother and daughter alone to catch up. She walked out and joined the others in the main room. She sat on the couch with a huff.

"Everything okay?" Jordan asked her. Emma just responded with a shrug. Jordan put his arm around her. "Hey, the only person blaming you is yourself. Just try not to think about it."

Emma turned away. Jordan tried to cuddle, but she got up from the couch and sat on the other.

"Emma..."

"Don't tell me everything's okay," she shook her head. "Don't tell me this isn't my fault."

"It's not."

"That doesn't mean it shouldn't have been me!"

"Emma, Tensou promises in a week it'll be like nothing happened."

"NO!" Emma shook her head. "It did happen! It'll always have happened and I'm fucking sick of it!"

"She was shot once. I mean, that's one time too many but to be sick of it..."

"I'm sick of always being too fucking late!" Emma shouted. "I couldn't stop Cliff, I can't stop Vrak, she tried to commit suicide and I had no freaking clue."

"What?" Claire gasped and dropped the cup of coffee she had made herself, knowing it was likely Vanessa would take a while with Gia.

"And now she gets shot, Jordan. I'm tired of these last minute or just completely wasted rescues! I'm tired of not being good enough."

"Whoa, whoa," Claire put her hand on Emma's shoulder, "Emma... backtrack a second to that suicide thing you mentioned. Are you just exaggerating or..."

"I'm sick of it!" Emma ignored her mother. Jordan got up and grabbed her arms. He smiled at her.

"Emma, you're the best best friend Gia can ask for."

"She deserves better."

"You've got to stop thinking about the bad stuff. I'm sure she's let you down just as many times as you."

"You're just saying that," Emma huffed. "Gia's always been there for me."

"Come on, Em, you said it yourself. That suicide thing was a major letdown."

"Can someone please explain suicide?" Claire cried out and looked around the room. Jordan turned to her.

"It's when you kill yourself, Mrs. Goodall."

Claire rolled her eyes and grumbled. Jordan looked back at Emma with a smile.

"You and Gia are equally awful, and equally disappointing to each other, I'm positive. It's what makes you so perfect for each other."

"You mean it?"

"Of course," Jordan nodded. "I'm sure she'll tell you exactly that when you talk to her about this. You're best friends. All that matters to her is that you showed up and fought for her. Like a beast, from what I heard."

Emma smiled up at her fiancé, and then wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. Claire, meanwhile, turned her attention to Troy, who had watched everything from the kitchen table.

"Gia and suicide? Explain."

"She tried to jump off a cliff," Troy shrugged his shoulders.

"What? Why?"

"It's a long story, Mrs. Goodall," Troy shook his head and started to walk to his bedroom, "I've had a pretty long day. Have one of the others explain it to you."

As he walked off, Claire dropped and shook her head. She sighed heavily, "Teenagers should not live alone..."


	34. Inappropriate Words

As much as Gia loved and trusted her friends, nothing felt better or safer than being in her mother's arms, and after the ordeal Mr. Goodall had put her through, there was nothing else that could offer Gia the same level of comfort than a tight, warm embrace from her mother.

"I know I've been through worse," Gia said as she explained her story to her mother. "Vrak and Vekar scare me more than any human with a gun but... between his shouting, the fact that he had already killed the three guys he asked to work for him, and that he wanted to take Emma away or kill her, and I was already shot in the shoulder..."

"That's quite the list," Vanessa squeezed very softly. "It's okay to say it scared you."

"It wasn't just fear," Gia shook her head. "Just before Emma and the guys showed up... I felt so helpless. I couldn't stop my shoulder bleeding, I didn't have my morpher, and I had to send Claire away. I was all alone and I couldn't do anything if he wanted to kill me. I'm only alive now because that cage door didn't give. He'd had killed me for sure. I know it."

"He didn't," Vanessa kissed the top of her daughter's head. "I'm so glad he didn't."

Gia's eyes filled with tears. She pulled her knees up to her chest and gently massaged her sore shoulder with her hand.

"I'm trying not to be like last time," Gia said. "I'm trying to be a better Ranger and a better friend. I saw the news that Mr. Goodall broke out and I knew he was coming for Emma but... I didn't go after him."

"Good."

"But if he's still going to find me. If he's still going to threaten our lives and cause us pain... it's like whatever I do, I damned. And it's not the first time I feel this way," Gia looked up at her mother. She never wanted to share this information. She wanted to keep her in the dark, only because it would devastate her mother if she ever found out, but after her day she had to talk to someone. "You know when there was that big explosion, and the papers said we were all dead?"

"Yeah?"

"I almost was. I mean, I was as good as dead."

"Gia, don't talk about yourself like that..."

"I wanted to die," Gia whispered. "More than that, I actually... I tried to kill myself."

Vanessa could do nothing for a moment except stare blankly at her daughter. Then, all of a sudden, a wave of emotions hit her like a truck as Gia's confession sunk in, and the look on her little girl's face confirmed this was no joke. Gia was hoping her mother could say something, but after a couple minutes of silence it looked like she was going to have to make the first move.

"Mom..."

"What... why... why, Gia? Why would you...?"

"I just felt it was going to happen anyways," Gia shrugged. "You know, Vrak walked away from that fight. He's still out there somewhere, and I don't think he's going to want to kiss and make up when he shows his face again. I just... I can't beat him, and I thought at least if I kill myself, he won't have the satisfaction of doing whatever he wants."

"Gia... but... sweetheart..."

"I talked to Serena about this," Gia said. "She put my head back on straight; you don't have to worry..."

"You tried to kill yourself!" Vanessa screamed. "What did...? I mean, how did you do it?"

"Can we talk about this another time? It's not really what's important, right now."

"It's important, Gia. You're important. Why the hell would you think that was the right thing to do?"

"I... I wasn't thinking. Mom, I'm sorry. I didn't want to scare you. I just..."

"Are you feeling this way again?"

"No, but... I am feeling..."

"This is unacceptable!" Vanessa shouted. "I... I know times are tough, Gia. I know what you're facing now isn't normal. I know sometimes it gets to be a bit too much, but... I raised you better than that!"

"Mom..."

"And I thought we were clear on this! I thought you understood how hard everyone here has worked to see you get back up on your feet. I thought you knew how much we've all invested in you! You just want to throw that all away?"

"I'm not suicidal anymore."

"How can you be sure? How can... How am I supposed to go back home now? I used to just worry about your being dead or alive when I knew there was a fight going on, but now it's going to have to be every moment!"

"Mom, it's not like that anymore. Serena fixed me..."

"You can't be fixed!" Vanessa shouted. "It's like no matter what I or anyone else does, you're just... you're broken. It's getting to the point, Gia, where it's just wishful thinking that I'll ever get you back."

"No, mom..."

"I... I've got to go," Vanessa got off the bed and made a beeline for the door. Gia, with a little bit of trouble, followed her mother. They both left the room and Vanessa walked straight to the front of the command center to leave. Gia called after her.

"Mom! Mom, I'm sorry! I can... I'll fix myself, I promise!"

"Gia?" Jake walked over slowly and hoped whatever was happening; it wasn't as bad as Gia made it sound.

Vanessa looked over her shoulder once, and then shook her head and walked out. Gia tried to run after her but Jake grabbed her good arm and pulled her back.

"Mom!" she screamed but when her mother didn't answer and didn't come back, Gia pulled away from Jake and then punched the side of the cave.

"Stop your sobbing. At least you still have a mom," Troy scoffed and rolled his eyes. Suddenly, without anyone seeing how it happened, Gia rushed Troy and with one hand pinned him to the wall. Her arm pressed tightly against his throat. He couldn't breathe.

"Do you want to die, Burrows?"

Troy gasped and tried to take in air as he shook his head. Jake came to his rescue quickly. He pulled Gia away from the red Ranger and then let Emma take her back into her room. As Troy massaged his neck he looked over to thank Jake. The black Ranger just shook his head.

"If we didn't need a red guy, I wouldn't have done that," he muttered. "Dude, if you've got a problem, just say it."

Troy glared and then started to walk away. Jake grabbed his arm and yanked him back.

"Dude, I'm serious," he said. "Say something. Tell us what's turned you into the biggest asshole, because as much as it sucks, dead parents don't really cut it anymore."

"I don't have to talk to you," Troy shook his head. Jake pulled on his arm again.

"When you go around picking on my best friend, trying to make him feel like crap, and then you make comments like that to my girlfriend, you at least owe me an explanation. Speak up, jerk. Get it off your chest."

"I will not tolerate you speaking to me like that," Troy shook his head. "I am leader! I'm your boss..."

"Ooh, look at Troy. He's all high and mighty because he's got the red suit!" Jake rolled his eyes.

"Real classy," Troy shook his head. "Just leave me alone."

"No. Come on, dude, just spit it out. Be a man about this."

"Jake, shove off!"

"No. If you're going to try and bully everyone else around here, let's see you try and take me on. Let's see how well you do when you're against someone who won't back down."

"I don't want to talk."

"Well, too bad," Jake shook his head. "Because I'm sick and tired or watching you put down the people I care about, just because you're feeling miserable. You're a bully."

"You're not exactly holier than thou, you know," Troy growled. "Just leave me alone, Jake."

"No."

"Screw off."

"No. I'm not leaving. I'm not going to leave you alone for a second until you finally break and tell what the hell's crawled up your ass. You're making Noah feel miserable, your comment certainly did nothing to help Gia feel better, and I'll bet Rebecca's too scared to tell you you're making her miserable too."

"Hey!" Troy shouted and shoved Jake backwards. "I'm doing my fucking best with the family I have left!"

"Maybe learn to let go a little bit, then," Jake said. "You know, just because you're miserable, doesn't mean your sister has to be. If she and Noah want to go to dinner, they should be able to without having to tip-toe around you to do it."

"Maybe if your girlfriend actually cared a little more about you, you'd be getting laid and you wouldn't give a rat's ass who my sister's going out with!"

Troy expected a verbal response. What he got instead was a powerful punch to the side of the face. It knocked him right off his feet and back into the rocky wall. He sunk to the ground on his butt and cradled his face in his hands. When he looked up, Jake was gone, Claire was mortified, Noah seemed shocked and Rebecca... Troy could barely look his sister in the eye without feeling guilt, shame and pain wash over him. Already he knew what he had done.

So, with his tail between his legs, he got himself up and retreated to his room.


	35. Reconciliation

Jake wanted to go talk to Troy after a few moments to breathe, but Rebecca convinced him she was the better choice. Not only did she think she had something to say that would help, but she was likely the only person in the command center that could get Troy to listen to her. After letting him take some time to cool down and think about what had happened out in the main room, Rebecca walked into the bedroom. Troy sat on his bed, hugging his pillow to his chest as he sobbed into it. Rebecca had never seen him so vulnerable or miserable before. Troy had always been able to keep it together, even in the toughest of times.

She sat down next to him and pulled him in tightly for a hug. Troy sobbed into her shoulder.

"It's hard," Rebecca nodded and decided to adopt the empathetic approach with her brother. She didn't need to be told how much he was hurting. "It's hard at first, especially when you don't get a chance to say goodbye but it does get easier."

"It's not fair," Troy cried. He pulled back and wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. "They had nothing to do with the war."

"That doesn't stop the aliens."

"What am I going to do?" Troy asked. "I've got to lead the Rangers in a war, I've now got a baby and you to look after..."

"I don't need looking after," Rebecca shook her head. "I mean, I never expected to be on my own at sixteen but I can take care of myself. And I can help with Ryan. We can pull this off."

"We don't have parents, Rebecca. We've got no home to go back to! No one we care about waiting for us at home. When this war's over, if we can end it, while the others can go back to their parents and just... be happy, we'll have nothing."

"We can figure it out," Rebecca smiled. Troy shook his head.

"You don't get it..."

"I do! I really do," she assured him. "I'm just over the pain. I'm tired of being the lost girl, or the orphaned child, or the step kid from another marriage. If you and your parents taught me anything it's that family is what you make it."

"We can recreate this family, Becca, but we're not getting our parents back. There's no replacing them with some other couple. It's not like what you did with dad."

"I never replaced dad," Rebecca shook her head. "I don't care what he did, how he treated me, or how he chose to end his life. He's always going to be the number one father in my life and I'm going to miss him until the day I die."

"Rebecca..."

"And that's the same for my mom. I never used your parents to replace mine. I just... I found a new family. New people to lean on when I needed someone. People I could count on to knock me down when I get way too over confident or... punch me in the face when I say something really stupid."

"My parents never hit you."

"I'm not talking about your parents," Rebecca took her brothers hands and smiled. "We still have a family. We have people who'll help us for the rest of our lives, and when this war's over we'll be celebrating with them. I know they'll be happy to have us. The party won't be the same without us. But they're never going to replace your parents. Just like your parents never replaced mine."

Rebecca hugged her brother tightly, "It's going to be hard. You're gonna feel this pain for a long time, and the hurt is never really going to go away, but if you treat the people who want to help you like crap, you're really going to have no one to turn to at the end of the day."

"You're a smart kid."

"I had a good family," Rebecca smiled and then gently tapped her brother's hand, "Look, you don't need to apologize to me. You're hurting and I get that. I feel the same way. But maybe you have a few apologies to make to the others. Just because you're miserable, that doesn't give you the right to attack them. I've got to say, Troy, from what I saw, you were acting like a bit of a bully."

"Is it safe to go out there?"

"I'll protect you," Rebecca chuckled. Troy nodded his head and held his sister's hand as he walked to the door. Just before they stepped out of the room she looked up at him. "Hey, by the way, if ever you start to really hurt again, we can talk. I've always got time for my big brother. Whether I'm just being lazy on the couch, or I'm in the middle of a date with Noah. I've got you."

"Thanks, Becca," Troy said and leaned in to kiss her forehead just before they walked out. Troy couldn't see Jake, but Noah was sitting at the kitchen table, playing with his hands. After a little nudge from Rebecca, Troy walked up and sat across from the blue Ranger.

"Noah..."

"You don't have to say anything," Noah shook his head. "If you don't want me dating your sister, I get it."

"It's not really my call to make," Troy said. "Rebecca's a big girl. She can date whoever she wants. Just, promise me you'll treat her right."

"Of course," Noah looked up. Troy smiled and lowered his head.

"There's... there's something else I wanted to add."

"What's that?"

"Of all the guys here, I'm glad it's you."

"Me? Uh, for what?"

"Taking my little sister on a date," Troy answered with a shrug. "I know you had that whole confidence crisis thing and... Look, your Ranger abilities or strength were never in question. Not by the others, and certainly not by me. Jake and Gia have a tendency to kind of act first and think later and sometimes Emma can be a little too... well, you remember Rico, right?"

"She was right about that."

"She got lucky with that one," Troy said. "I can count on you, Noah. You're smart, you like to think things through, but you act when you need to. If you wanted, I'm sure you could have taken on most of the aliens we've ever faced single handily."

"With the team right behind me, of course. Just in case something happened," Noah chuckled and shook his head, "That's one mistake I'll never make twice."

"Rebecca's really special. She deserves a guy who's not going to disappoint her, and who I can trust will keep her safe whenever I can't. I trust you. Without a doubt, I trust you."

"Really?"

"Really."

"Thanks, man. That means a lot. I promise, I won't let you down."

"I know. I'm sorry for giving you a hard time before. I was just..."

"I get it," Noah chuckled and held out his hand. Troy accepted it and the two shook hands. Rebecca watched but she couldn't stop herself. She walked over and wrapped her arms around both the boys, squishing them all together.

"This is the start of a beautiful family... uh, no pressure, Noah."

-Megaforce-

While Noah, Troy, and Rebecca were reconciling in the main room, Jake, Jordan, Claire and Emma were with Gia in her bedroom, trying to console her and trying to figure out what had happened to make her mother storm out. If there was anything the four of them could agree on about Vanessa it was that she was an excellent, nurturing and understanding mother. For her to storm out while her daughter cried out for her meant something had to have happened or been said.

So far, from what Claire had gathered, Gia had talked to her mother about her suicide attempt. Claire still wasn't sure of all the details regarding that, but the knowledge alone that Gia tried to take her own life had shocked Claire. She couldn't imagine what it must have done to Vanessa. That alone was enough to justify Vanessa needing a moment.

But that was no reassurance to Gia. Determined to make things feel a little better for the girl, Claire had taken her in her arms and tried to act as a motherly figure, just to calm her down. It worked, but not as well as Claire would have liked. Gia was no longer sobbing, but she was still upset her mother had run off.

"She just needs some time," Emma was speaking to Gia. Of everyone, she always knew exactly what her best friend needed to hear. She always knew what to say and how to say it, and she could bring a smile to Gia's face even in the darkest of times. Right now, that was needed. "You remember how Jake and I freaked out when you told us. You'd have to expect _at least_ that from your mom."

"I didn't want to hurt her," Gia whispered and played with her sling as she looked down at her arm. "I just wanted some help."

Emma smiled to hear that. Gia wasn't one to reach out when she was in trouble. She always preferred to keep to herself. Even before Cliff stepped in, Gia had that attitude where she wanted to handle her problems on her own, and didn't think others could be bothered to help. To see that finally changing was a huge weight lifted off Emma's shoulders already.

"You're gonna get it," she promised. "But just keep in mind that your mom needs time to understand what's going on. She can't help you if she doesn't know what she really facing, can she?"

Gia shook her head, and Claire was a little surprised to feel her leaning in closer. She didn't push the yellow Ranger away and squeezed her gently.

"Hey," she said, "If I know Vanessa, then there's no doubt that she'll come back in here, she'll hold you, and she'll tell you everything you need to know to fix this. And she's gonna be by your side the whole way until you're back on your feet again. You can count on that."

Gia nodded her head and then sighed, "What about the real problem?"

"What real problem?"

"My suicide attempt isn't what I wanted her help for," Gia muttered. "I know you guys still have a hard time believing it, but I'm not suicidal anymore."

"Yeah, might still be a few months before we're reassured," Jake said.

"Try years," Claire said.

Emma shook her head, "Decades," then she stuck her tongue out at her mother and Jake, which Gia laughed softly at.

"Guys, I'm serious. I knew about Mr. Goodall's jail break before he got me, but I didn't go after him. I let the cops handle it."

"Wow, you really can listen," Jordan teased her. Gia glared at him playfully and then turned back to the other three.

"I tried to stay out of it. I tried to do the smart thing but I still got caught up in it. If the end result's just going to be the same no matter what I do, and it means I'm going to get hurt... what's the point?"

"What do you mean?" Emma asked with concern. Gia shrugged her shoulder.

"I don't mean I'm giving up. I just mean... Well, I'm not sure. I just... I feel stuck. If I give it all I've got and go after the bad guys, I get hurt. I hold back and they still find a way to hurt me."

"Can I say something?" Claire chimed in and shifted so she was looking right at Gia, "I'm really proud of the way you handled yourself at the ice-cream shop."

"Yeah," Gia rolled her eyes, "My crazy screaming really helped us out..."

"Well, it certainly didn't hurt," Claire said. "Gia, you were the one thinking rationally down there. You were the one playing it safe."

"And look where it got me!" Gia pointed to her shoulder. "I know Tensou's gonna fix it, but I'm still out for a week!"

"Gia, I let my protective side take over," Claire said. "If I had just kept my mouth shut and waited for help..."

"We'd probably still be in that cage..."

"Jeff shot you because of me. Because I didn't think through the deal I made with him. Because I was rash and desperate to protect you. I put you right in the line of fire, literally. Hell, looking back, all I really did was make you expendable."

"Mom, just letting you know, you're not earning brownie points here," Emma crossed her arms over her chest. Claire chuckled and shook her head.

"I'm the one who blabbed to Jeff about Emma. You're the one who got me thinking that was stupid. I wanted to stay and find the key. You're the one who convinced me to get out and warn Emma. Maybe I wasn't able to stop her showing up, but she did know what she was walking into, and she could prepare herself for that."

"That's bull..."

"No, it's not," Claire said. "Gia, if you had gone off the rails..."

"Like I would have if you hadn't of shut me up."

"We all know no one can tell you what to do," Claire chuckled. "Gia, if you had acted like you would have in the past, you'd have screamed and threatened Jeff until he pointed that gun and shot you through the head or heart. You'd be dead before I could have even made that call to Emma. You saved yourself, and by keeping a calm head, by thinking rationally, you saved me. The thing is, no matter what you do, you might find yourself in trouble. It's what you do to get yourself out that defines what becomes of you in the end."

"We saw the hospital security feeds," Jake said and put his hand on her leg as he smiled at her. "We know you didn't run into trouble. Mr. Goodall and his thugs may have fooled you, but what happened wasn't your fault, and we know you did all you could to get back to us so we could take him on together. Right?"

Gia bit her lip and nodded her head. Jake chuckled.

"We're in a war, Moran. You can't expect bad things to never happen. But I am really proud of how you handled yourself. If you keep that up, we're gonna win for sure."

Gia looked up with a smile and leaned into Jake's arms. He held her warmly and kissed the top of her head. Just then, there was a knock on the door and then it opened. Vanessa was back. She saw the large crowd in her daughter's room and gulped.

"I was hoping..."

"Come on, guys," Jordan gestured to the door, "I don't know about the rest of you but I'm suddenly feeling claustrophobic in here. Maybe if some of us leave, it'll help."

Vanessa stepped out of the way so the others could leave and then closed the door behind them. She turned to her daughter on the bed and sighed. Gia looked down at her blankets.

"Mom, I'm so sorry..."

"Don't you dare apologize," Vanessa said and walked over to the bed. She pulled her daughter in for a tight, loving hug. "I should be apologizing. I should have been there."

"Mom, it's okay."

"It's not okay. I'm just glad you are."

"We can talk about it."

"Oh, we're going to talk about it," Vanessa nodded and looked straight at her daughter. "You are not off the hook just because I love you."

Gia smiled brightly. Until now, she had no idea how much she had missed hearing that.

"I love you too."


	36. Date Nights And Talks

With Troy's blessing, Noah felt a lot more confident going into his date with Rebecca. He was still nervous about it, but he no longer had to worry about her older brother breathing down his neck. He could just focus on making himself as charming as possible and giving Rebecca a good time.

She had insisted on dinner in the command center – too scared to leave after all the trouble the Rangers had been through. Noah agreed, and their friends set up a dining table in the main room, not too far from where they had put their kitchen. Claire had promised to cook and Jake had been talked into being the waiter for the evening.

"So, what can I get the lovely couple tonight?" he asked as the two sat down.

"Ooh, this restaurant comes with options," Rebecca teased. She already knew Claire would be making pasta. It was about the only thing she could prepare in such a small kitchen that would be good enough for a _fancy_ date night.

"What exactly are our options?" Noah asked.

"Uh... water, milk, orange juice, and soda," Jake listed off the drinks he remembered having in the fridge.

"Soda!" Rebecca smiled. Noah chuckled and then shook his head.

"I'll just have water. I'm driving home."

Jake frowned at his best friend but then walked off to get them their drinks. Rebecca chuckled at Noah's comment.

"I guess in a fake restaurant, soda is the fake alcohol."

"I'm glad you found that funny," Noah said. "Most people don't get my jokes."

"Their loss. Though I will admit, if you make a science joke then I'm lost."

"Those are the best kinds," Noah said. Rebecca stuck out her tongue and shook her head.

"No. Science sucks. No offence, but it does."

"Why don't you like it?"

"It's hard," Rebecca groaned. "I mean, it's cool if you like it. It's just not my thing."

"What is your thing?"

Rebecca bit her lip and then shrugged her shoulders, "You know, I'm not really sure. Being a troubled teen doesn't exactly leave you with a lot of time to think about your future, you know."

"Have you thought about it since?" Noah asked her. "Anything seem even a little interesting?"

"Any way I can make money off collecting Ranger toys?"

"If anyone could find a way, I'd be you," Noah chuckled. "But seriously, Rebecca, have you given it any thought? I know people always say I'm going to cure cancer or something, but I really want to go into robotics. Now that I know it's possible to create real robots, I kind of want to try my hand at it."

"After all that time they spend trying to kill you, do you really want to build more?" Rebecca raised her eyebrows.

"Mine won't be evil."

"That's what all the mad scientists say."

"I'm not a mad scientist."

"That's something else they say," Rebecca whispered and then smirked playfully. "I am kidding. I'm sure if anyone can figure out how to make a robot that won't attack and kill us, it'll be you. As for what I want to do... I don't know."

"Can I suggest something?" Noah said. Rebecca looked up at him and nodded her head. "Counsellor."

"Of?"

"For teens. You're really good at helping us figure stuff out. You've been through enough already to be able to relate. I think it's something you'd be really good at."

"Like Serena?"

"Yeah."

"I guess I do like helping people."

"Voilà," Jake announced as he walked over to the table with both his friends' drinks in his hands, "A water and a soda. Are you two almost ready to order?"

"Order?" Rebecca frowned. "There's only one thing to order?"

"You asked me to be a waiter," Jake said and showed them both a piece of paper, where he had written down their sole menu item for the evening in an attempt to make them a menu to read from. "I'm just doing my job. Might I recommend the spaghetti bolognese?"

"Whatever. Sounds delicious," Rebecca rolled her eyes while Noah nodded his head in agreement. Jake took back the menus and then walked to the kitchen. Noah and Rebecca could see him telling the chef what they had asked for. While Noah chuckled, Rebecca groaned.

"Seriously?"

"Jake's always been like that," Noah nodded. Rebecca turned back to her date.

"Why are you friends? I... I don't mean that in a bad way, it's just that..."

"It's fine," Noah smiled. "We kind of get that question all the time. I can't really answer it, I guess. Not in a way that doesn't just sound cheesy."

"I don't mind a bit of cheese," Rebecca answered and leaned forward to show her interest. Noah exhaled deeply as he tried to find out where to start. When he and Jake were young and they had first met, they were just kids. As long as they had something in common, they could be friends.

"I guess we just never let cliques get to us," Noah said. "Jake's also the kind of guy who doesn't really care what people think of him. In middle school, he used to sit with me at lunch, even though the soccer team had their own table. I think they teased him about it on the field, but it never really bothered him."

"I'm sure you were teased too," Rebecca said. "At my old school, if a nerd even got within a few feet from a jock, his fellow nerds would tease him about losing a few IQ points."

"That's happened a few times," Noah said. "Some of the guys in the computer club think Jake's just an airhead but, I guess I don't let it bother me too much either. Jake's always been my friend. He's always had my back. I'm not going to dump him because of what other people think."

"That's pretty cool," Rebecca smiled. "I get a little jealous sometimes."

"Jealous? Of me? Becca, we're all friends now."

"I'm jealous of you, Jake, Emma, and Gia. You all have that one person you've always been able to count on. I mean, Troy's great, but it's barely been a year since I met him. We can't reminisce like you guys. We don't have jokes or really know how to cheer the other one up. I know most of the time I'm helping him, I'm just winging it. I don't really know what'll cheer him up. Even with his parents, I mean, I got him to feel a little better, but I don't really know what's going to work next time he's upset. Or the time after that."

"You just need to give it a little more time," Noah assured her. "'I'm sure you'll get there."

"It must feel pretty good, knowing you've got a best friend like that, no matter what."

"Yeah, it's pretty cool," Noah said and then looked over as Jake brought them their meals. "Thanks, Jake."

"No problem. Enjoy."

Jake set the plates on the table and then walked away to let the happy couple eat privately. He wouldn't be needed again until they were done, and he assumed, based on how the date was going already, that that wouldn't be for a while. He had a little time to take a break and figure out what he was going to offer them for dessert.

He walked to his bedroom to think about it, but on the way he bumped into Troy and Ryan. The little girl was in nothing but a diaper, with a spare tucked under Troy's arm and they were headed to the bathroom. Jake assumed it was bath time. He was going to let them go but Troy called for him to stop. With a loud groan he turned around.

He hadn't talked to Troy at all since their last meeting, where tempers had flown. Jake was a little embarrassed about how aggressive he had been with the red Ranger and he couldn't get past how their argument ended. It had hurt him too much to just let go.

"What?"

"I'm sorry."

"Sorry?" Jake scoffed. "All that, and you're _sorry_?"

"I let my own misery get the better of me. You were right to call me out on those things," Troy nodded his head. "I shouldn't have tried to push Noah around like that, I shouldn't have tried to meddle with Rebecca's happiness, just because I was hurting, and I shouldn't have made that comment about you and Gia. I'm really sorry for all of that."

"You know, I don't care what you tried to do to Noah or Rebecca," Jake shook his head. "I wasn't going to let you push them around, and I know they weren't going to let a little thing like your temper tantrum get in the way of them having a nice night. But don't you ever talk about me and Gia that way. You might be our friend, but you have no idea the shit we go through for each other."

"Jake, I'm sorry..."

"And who the hell are you to say she doesn't love me?" Jake growled.

"I crossed a line, Jake. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said any of that."

"Well, you did," Jake shook his head. "You did, and you know what? It hurt."

Jake stormed off into his bedroom. Troy sighed loudly and then looked down at his sister. Ryan was staring down the hall where Jake had gone to and Troy knew what he had to do.

"You'll get bath time soon, I promise," he told her and then walked, with her in his arms, to Jake's bedroom. He knocked, but when Jake told him where to go, Troy opened the door just a crack and then set Ryan on the floor. The little girl, excited for a little adventure, crawled into the room and had a look around. When she saw Jake up high on his bed she made her way over and then pulled herself up.

"Babababababababa," she said to him. Jake turned his head away and rolled his eyes.

"Cute isn't going to change my mind."

"Baba BA baba," Ryan answered. Jake found it a little harder to resist. He picked up the little girl and put her in his lap and then called for Troy to walk in.

"What?"

"What can I do to make it up to you?" Troy asked. "Anything. Anything at all."

"Nothing."

"Look, man," Troy sat down on the bed. "I was hurting. And I know that's not an excuse but... I kind of just said that because I knew it would hurt you too and... I was being an ass."

"I'll say."

"I know you and Gia love each other. And I know she's doing her best with you and that you two are happy and..."

"What if we're not," Jake looked up. Troy frowned deeply.

"What do you mean?"

"I... I mean, I'm not unhappy. She's completely amazing. But... what you said last night didn't just strike a chord because of, well, Gia. It's kind of true."

"I thought you were happy together. I thought you were happy because of how hard she was trying for you."

"And I am! And... that's why I feel like... well, like an ass," Jake said. "I mean, we're up to making out and stuff and... I mean, that's great, but..."

"You can tell me," Troy said. "I can keep a secret."

"It kind of sucks when you think Noah and Rebecca might... get some before Gia and I do."

"I don't really want to think about that," Troy shook his head and groaned. "Just because I gave them my blessing doesn't mean..."

"Dude, that's not what's important. I told Gia I would wait for her and I still stand by that. I just wish, you know, that I didn't have to wait so long."

"Have you talked to her about that?"

"Yeah, because right now would be an awesome time to bring that up," Jake rolled his eyes. "And I don't want to be an ass. She's working so hard to make me happy and... I'm just going to tell her it's not good enough."

"She's not making you happy, though, is she?"

"It'll crush her if she finds out."

"It'll hurt her even more if you never tell her, resent her for it, and then bang the first available girl you see."

"What?"

"That's what dad did to mom. It's what led to Becca being born."

"Oh, that dad," Jake grumbled. He shook his head, "I don't want that."

"Tell her like you told me," Troy said. "It might hurt, but it's the only way you're going to feel better about this."

"I guess she and I have a hard talk coming up," Jake grumbled. Troy gave him a gentle pat on the arm.

"If you want to run it by me first, I'll listen."

"You'll listen to me practice having _the talk_ with my girlfriend?" Jake asked. Troy frowned, but then shrugged his shoulders and nodded his head.

"I did say I'd do anything to make it up to you."

"You're really a man of your word, then," Jake said. "I'll let you know."

"Great," Troy said. He picked Ryan up, "Alright, little monkey. Now it's bath time. Let's go get you cleaned up."


	37. Taking That Step

_Author's Note: Time for another deleted scene! Same rules as always._

_Just a bonus, I have a contest coming up in one of the future chapters. It'll be open to everyone. Anyone who hasn't won a deleted scene yet can look forward to that!_

After what he would call a great meal with Rebecca, Noah found himself walking her to her bedroom door. It wasn't far to go from their table to Rebecca's bedroom, but he insisted on walking her there to say goodnight.

"Well," Rebecca said as she arrived, still chuckling slightly at how ridiculous it was for Noah to walk her across the room. "Thanks for taking me home."

"No problem," Noah smiled. He didn't mind that she was technically laughing at him. He was just glad to see a smile on her face. It was all he really wanted for her, and was happy to be the cause for it. "I just wanted to make sure you got home safe."

"Yeah. The walk from the table to the door can quite dangerous."

"I know we're kidding around," Noah said, "But when you think about who we live with, that's actually true."

"I guess you're right," Rebecca smiled. "Then I guess my thanks is sincere. And I had a great time."

"Yeah, me too," Noah answered and then felt himself get very nervous. This was it. This was the goodnight, and with it generally came a kiss. He had never kissed a girl before. He had no experience, no practice, and no idea what to do. He didn't want to come off as lousy. He didn't want to disappoint, or even worse, gross out Rebecca. His heart started to race, his hands began to sweat, and every part of him wanted to just wish her a goodnight and then run for his room.

But then Rebecca made the first move and gave him a quick peck on the lips. Though it was short, Noah felt his heart flutter, and he couldn't wipe the smile off his face even after he walked into his room and lay down on his bed. Jake simply looked to him and from the smile he could guess how his best friend's night had ended. He held out his fist.

"Way to go, dude. I knew you had it in you."

Noah bumped fists with Jake and then sat up, "Man, I was an idiot for not wanting to date before."

"Nah, you just weren't ready," Jake shook his head and then turned to the notebook he had been writing in when Noah came in. It looked like he was working on his homework. Noah tried to take a peek.

"Hey, need any help with that?"

Jake turned the book away and then shook his head. After a moment, he bit his lip.

"Actually, maybe running this by two people will help. Can I read this to you?"

"Are you writing that paper for Dr. Oliver? You know it's due in a couple of weeks."

"I'm a last minute kind of guy," Jake said. "Just listen. We've been together for a while now and while I respect us taking it slow, I was hoping maybe we could try picking up the pace just a little bit."

"Uh... either you're writing a letter to Gia or we need to have an uncomfortable talk."

"I'm writing down a speech for Gia," Jake said. "Troy came in to apologize about what he said and... well, he got me thinking maybe I wanted a little more from Gia than I led her to believe."

"How much more? You mean...?"

"We don't have to jump right there," Jake said. "But I'd like to know we're going to get there sometime soon. I'd wait forever if I have to, but I really don't want to."

"Understandable," Noah nodded his head and took the notebook from Jake. "But that's how you want to tell her?"

"Is it bad?"

"It's not bad. It's just, after Cliff, you might want her to feel like she's safe with you."

"She is. She knows that. I mean, that's what this has been about all along, you know. She's safe with me and she knows it."

"I don't know, Jake," Noah shook his head. "I mean, I was a kiss virgin until five minutes ago, but I think no matter what, it's a huge leap to get to where you want to be. Just think about how much more vulnerable it's going to be. For one thing, when you're making out, you've both still got your clothes on."

Jake let out a deep breath and took his notes back so he could have a look, "What can I say to make her feel safe enough to take that step then?"

"I didn't know how to get Rebecca to kiss me," Noah answered. "Sorry, Jake. You're on your own there."

"She did kiss you, though."

"She... she made the first move," Noah scratched the back of his neck nervously. Jake chuckled.

"I guess I should have expected that. Still, dude, way to go."

-Megaforce-

After the chaos that was getting back into her daughter's life, Vanessa was wiped for the day. Though Tensou could just teleport her and Claire back to their temporary home out of town, Vanessa didn't want to make the trip. She didn't want to leave her daughter after hearing everything that had happened in the time she had gone. Claire felt the same way, and the two mothers convinced Tensou and Gosei to have one more day at the command center.

Everyone was in their beds for the night. Noah and Rebecca's date night was over, and each had gone to their respective rooms. Jake, after serving as a waited for his best friend and step-sister, had retreated to his room for the night. Troy had bathed Ryan and then put her and himself to bed, and Emma and Gia were in their room getting ready for bed. The mothers had the main room to themselves and were setting up the two couches to serve as their beds for the night. The couches weren't the best or most comfortable for sleeping, but it was all the Rangers could manage to get when they moved into the command center.

Vanessa shared with Claire everything Gia had told her. It wasn't a matter of breaking her daughter's trust, but between what had happened in the ice-cream shop with Jeff and Gia's confession of her suicide attempt, Vanessa needed someone to talk to. Since Joe had died, Claire had taken on the responsibility of being that person.

"We knew this wasn't going to be easy," Claire said. "Our girls are in a war. Bad things are going to happen."

"I don't like."

"Neither do I," Claire shook her head. "But we can't stay. I don't think they want us to."

Vanessa sighed and looked down at her couch. She wanted to stay and had suggested it to Claire, but had been shot down also immediately. It was too dangerous.

"Jordan gets to stay."

"Jordan's young," Claire said. "He said he gets up every morning to train with the Rangers. I mean, I want to kick some alien butt too, but I don't really think I can kick any higher than shins anymore. Face it, Vanessa. We're old."

"She tried to walk off a cliff, Claire..."

"And the others are looking after her. She's in good hands. They all are."

"What if it happens again? People don't just give up trying to kill themselves because some Samurai Master had them kick their clones butt."

"To be fair, I'm pretty sure Gia's the only one who's gotten that approach, and so far it's successful. She wasn't reckless when we were kidnapped by Jeff. She stayed smart; she did everything to stay alive. I don't think suicide is something we have to worry about."

"She's my daughter, Claire. I'm going to worry about that for the rest of my life!"

"I am worried too, I just... we have to let them go. We can stay another day but the Rangers are better off without distractions. What superhero really needs to have their mommy around all the time?"

"I know. I know. I guess it's just... I don't want to be helpless. All these things keep happening and there's nothing I can do except tell her it'll be okay. And then it never is."

"One day it will be."

"I just wish there was more I could do."

"You've done all you can," Claire sat down beside her best friend. "You've raised two very strong women. Everything they accomplish, including winning this war, comes back to you."

"Can they do it fast?" Vanessa asked and Claire chuckled.

"I'm sure they're moving as fast as they can. Do you want me to sleep with you tonight?"

"It's better if we don't. I don't want questions."

"I doubt they'll ever suspect."

"I just don't want to risk it being another thing on their minds," Vanessa said. "It's just one night, anyways."

"If you're sure," Claire said and then leaned in to kiss Vanessa, "Goodnight."


	38. Animarium

Vanessa groaned as she heard a voice and felt her body moving from side to side.

"Mom! Mom! Get up!"

Vanessa reluctantly opened her eyes and they were assaulted by a light. She rolled over, into the back of the couch. Gia grumbled and with her hand continued to shake her mother.

"We need to set up the consoles," Gia told her mother. "You have to get off the couch so the guys can move it."

"You're going to have to try harder than that if you want to get her up," Claire said as she came over. She gently pushed Gia out of the way, "Watch and learn, kid. Vanessa, I've got coffee!"

"Coffee," Vanessa rose up from the couch and took the mug right out of Claire's hand, without bothering to ask if it was hers or not. She sipped it and let out a content moan as she walked to the kitchen table to sit. Troy and Jake could finally lift the couch and move it to the side of the room so Tensou and Noah could set up the consoles. Then, while the Rangers gathered around, Claire walked to the table and joined Vanessa with a fresh coffee.

"So what's going on?" Vanessa asked.

"Gosei's got a mission."

"A mission? What kind of... Gia's not going on a mission, is she? She had a bullet removed from her shoulder _yesterday_!"

"Shush, will you," Claire chuckled. "I'm sure Gosei knows what he's doing, and we're not going to find out if you keep blabbing."

Gosei could see the Rangers were up and ready to listen and began to flash images of what looked just like a jungle on their consoles for them to see.

"Rangers, I am very proud of you. So far, you have managed to win many battles, but the fights are becoming more and more difficult."

"You woke us up for this?" Jake grumbled and rubbed his eyes. "Seriously, Gosei, tell us something we don't know or let us go back to bed."

"Gosei's right, guys," Troy said and looked to his teammates. "I mean, think about it. Until now, we've just been holding them off. Vekar's still out there, and unless we do something, he's just going to keep attacking."

"That is why you will need a new ally, who will give you more power," Gosei answered. "I am sending you on a mission."

"A mission? Really?" Emma's interest peeked. She liked the idea of a mission. It sounded a lot better than spending her days in a cave waiting for a fight to happen so she could get out for the day. "Where are we going?"

"A place called Animarium."

"Oh no..." Gia rolled her eyes and groaned while Emma bounced in excitement.

"Wait, you mean that's real?"

"What's Animarium?" Jake asked.

"Animarium is only the most amazing place on earth!" Emma smiled brightly. "It's a floating island in the sky that used to belong on Earth. But when the orgs attacked, it was lifted into the sky by the ancient warriors so that the Animals and the Princess would be safe."

"How do you know all this?" Noah asked her. "I mean, I've heard of the Animarium, but I haven't had time to study it yet."

"Joe used to tell the story to me," Emma said and suddenly all eyes shifted to Gia. The yellow Ranger shrugged her good shoulder and sighed.

"We owned the book."

"There's a book?"

"It's a children's book. A fairy tale," Gia said and then turned to Gosei, "This place can't actually exist, right?"

"I assure you, Gia, it is very real. It lies hidden in the clouds. You will need the Sky Ship to reach it."

"The Sky Ship," Jake smirked. "Alright, that's sounding pretty cool."

"Uh, what's the Sky Ship?" Vanessa called from the back.

"Their giant floating pirate ship," Rebecca answered her. "It's pretty kick ass."

"What's on the island, Gosei?" Troy asked.

"A wild lion."

"Yeah, I've..."

"You mean the Lion Zord," Emma interrupted Noah with a smirk. "One of the protectors of Animarium. He's an ally to the ancient warriors."

Noah crossed his arms and grumbled, "To the Wild Force Rangers, actually."

"Power Rangers weren't in my book," Emma replied. "Though my book does mention he's huge."

"He is. Be very careful, Rangers," Gosei announced and the Rangers could hear him lowering the Sky Ship just outside the command center. They turned to leave.

Just before they headed out, Rebecca stepped in Troy's way and looked up at him with big eyes, "Can I come?"

Troy shook his head, "No."

"But..."

"Watch Ryan, please. This is too dangerous."

"It's a giant floating magic island! Please."

"Sorry, Rebecca. I'll bring you home a souvenir or something."

"I... fine. But I hope Ryan walks while you're away and you miss it."

"I'll be safe, Troy chuckled and followed his friends out. Gia was about to go as well but her mother grabbed her by her arm.

"Gia, you..."

"I'll have the others do the heavy lifting. I'll be fine, mom. I promise."

"I trust Gia will not push herself too hard on this mission," Gosei said, "And it is crucial all five Rangers present themselves to the Lion. Vanessa, you will have to let her go."

"I'll be safe," Gia said and kissed her mother's cheek. She was just about to walk out again when Jordan stopped her.

"Let me come."

"No," Gia shook her head. "When you came, you promised Emma you'd stay out of the way."

"I want to propose."

"Yeah. I know. So?"

"What better place than Animarium? After you guys get what you need, maybe I can take Emma somewhere and pop the question there?"

"No, Jordan. It's too dangerous."

"I'll stay on the ship the whole time except to talk to her."

"No."

"Please..."

"No. Look, Jordan, I'm sorry. You're just going to have to come up with something else. Putting your life at risk is not the kind of romance I meant."

With that, Gia turned around and boarded the Sky Ship. Jordan watched her go and grumbled, but then he saw something in the corner of his eye. Emma had forgotten her camera. This was the perfect excuse. As the Sky Ship lifted in the air, he grabbed the camera, put it around his neck, and then ran to the front of the cave. As the anchor lifted he jumped, caught the chain and climbed up.

"Aw, man," Rebecca said. "I should have thought of that."


	39. Up In The Crow's Nest

Because of the Wild Force Ranger's presence in Turtle Cove, and their connection to the Animarium, as well as Emma's childhood book that stated the lake in Turtle Cove was what was left behind after the island had risen to the sky, the Rangers began their search above Turtle Cove. They knew Animarium would be hidden in the clouds which would make it difficult to find. While Troy piloted the ship, the four other Rangers and Jordan were up in the crow's nest, keeping a lookout for any signs of the floating island.

"I still can't believe you stowed away," Gia rolled her eyes as she lowered her binoculars and glanced at Jordan. "How stupid are you, exactly? So I know for next time."

"You guys are going to a floating island jungle in the sky," Jordan said with a shrug. "Who wouldn't want to go on that adventure?"

"Rebecca didn't come with you, did?" Jake asked.

"Nope. I'm flying solo," Jordan leaned against the side of the crow's nest and smirked, but then he noticed Emma paying no attention to him, and for the couple of hours they had been searching, aside from thanking him for her camera, she had said nothing to him at all. She would just snap pictures of the clouds and the Earth, adding more to her collection of perspectives she never even dreamed of being able to see. Jordan gently nudged her, "Em, is everything okay?"

"I can't believe you broke your promise. You said you'd stay away from danger."

"I have my reasons for tagging along. Besides it's a once in a lifetime adventure. You can understand that, right?"

"And who wants to be left with two mother in-laws," Noah chuckled. He was silenced when Emma shot a glare his way. "Not helping. Got it."

Emma turned to Jordan with a heavy sigh, "I guess adventure is more important to you than us."

"Emma, come on..."

"I didn't even want you in town, Jordan," Emma said. "I wanted you to stay at home, safe, because I didn't want you getting caught up in this war. I let you stay because you promised you wouldn't leave the command center. You promised you'd stay out of trouble."

"I'll stay on the ship, Emma, I promise."

"Like you promised you'd stay in the command center," Emma said. She put her camera around her neck and then started to climb back down to the ship. Clearly she was done talking.

Gia heard Emma storm off and snickered. Jordan frowned.

"Shut up."

"I told you she wouldn't be happy."

"And I told you to shut up," Jordan said. He flicked Gia's shoulder and then followed his fiancée down to the ship with the hopes of begging her to give him another chance. Noah also started to climb down.

"Where are you going?"

"We've been at this for hours," he said. "I'm going to see if Gosei can help us find this giant floating island."

"Probably a good idea," Jake nodded and let his best friend go. Now it was just him and Gia up in the crow's nest. He turned to her and saw her rubbing her shoulder after Jordan flicked it. "How's it feeling?"

"Exactly how you would expect it to," Gia muttered. "But you know how everyone worries so can you not bring it up?"

"I snatched these before we came up here," Jake reached into his pocket and pulled out a couple of pills. "Pain killers. When we find this island, you might need it."

"Thanks," Gia said as she took the pills and swallowed them. As she followed it up with a drink from her water bottle, Jake looked at her with a bit of a goofy grin. She frowned, "You know, we'll never find the Animarium if you don't stay focused."

"You've got a point," Jake nodded and glanced through his telescope for a minute, only to stop again to look at Gia, "Have you noticed, it's kind of romantic up here?"

"Romantic? Jake, we seriously need to focus."

"No, no, I know. It's just, we've seen all these clouds before, and Noah's going to talk to Gosei so maybe taking a break can help."

"It's because you touched my butt on the way up here, isn't it?" Gia grumbled. "I knew I should have let Emma be the one to follow me up."

"I didn't touch your butt, I stopped you falling. You're working with one arm. Someone had to be under you to catch you."

"Jake, now's not the time to take a break. We can't afford to miss Animarium."

"Alright, alright. Well, what about when we get home? I'm sure I can kick Noah out of my room so we can... uh... fool around a little bit."

"Fool around?"

Jake nodded his head and tried to remember what he had written up. With the others out of earshot, and their mission delayed slightly because they couldn't find Animarium, he figured this was the perfect time to talk. He couldn't get privacy like this at the command center, and couldn't ask Gosei to take the ship for a joy ride.

"I was kind of hoping we could take the next step," Jake said. "I mean, it doesn't have to be tonight. We can wait for Tensou to fix your arm. Actually, we probably should, but..."

"I'm not ready," Gia shook her head and lifted her binoculars up to look through them. Jake sighed. He put his hand on her good shoulder.

"I hoped you could at least think about it. You know you can trust me. You know I'm not going to hurt you. It would just... mean a lot to me if you considered doing more than just... making out."

"You said you'd wait," Gia said. "You said you'd wait for me, whenever I'm ready..."

"I know. I know. And if I have to I will. It's just..."

"So then why aren't you?"

"Hey," Jake reached down and held her hand, "I don't want you to feel like I'm pressuring you. I'm not. I'm just... Can you please just think about it? You know I'm a good guy. You know I love you. You know I'd do anything to make you feel good."

"Me too, but Jake..."

"I really appreciate all you've done for me so far, Gia. I really do, and I feel honoured you've trusted me this much but... at least consider it."

"We talked about this. I was going to try once and you said you didn't want it. You said you were happy."

"I know I did. I wasn't lying, Gia..."

"So what? You're not happy anymore? Jake, I'm really trying. I'm doing all I can."

"I know you are. I know this isn't easy for you but I kind of feel like we're stuck at just... making out. It's been a few months already and... I'm just asking you to consider taking another step up. Doing a little more with me, you know. I mean, we don't have to jump right into having sex or something but... I'd like to know you're still trying and still working on getting better. I'd like to feel like you do trust me. Can you think about it? Please?"

"If it'll make you happy," Gia whispered. Jake nodded his head and the kissed her forehead. Gia forced a smile and then reached over and picked up her water bottle. She shook it to show Jake it was nearly empty. "Mind getting me a refill?"

"Of course. Be safe up here. Don't lean too far over the edge."

"Promise," Gia nodded and then watched as Jake headed down. When she saw him hit the bottom she knew he was out of earshot. She leaned against the pole and slid down until she sat on her butt. She tucked her knees to her chest and buried her face in her arm.

"Alright, I'm starting to think Emma's real pissed off at me," Jordan announced and surprised Gia as he climbed back up into the crow's nest. "It probably isn't a good idea to pop the question until she calms down, right?"

Gia shrugged and wiped her eyes. Jordan knelt next to her.

"Hey? Is everything okay? It's kind of hard to look at for an island when you've got a wall in your way. Did you fall? Do you need help up?"

"I'm fine, Jordan."

"I'm sorry I pissed Emma off."

"I don't care about that."

"Something's bugging you. You look like you're about to cry."

"Leave it, Jordan."

"Do you want me to get Emma or Jake?"

"No. I'm fine."

Jordan knew she was lying. He closed the door to the crow's nest and locked it. He sat beside Gia.

"I can keep a secret," he whispered. "The threat of you killing me if I don't is great encouragement."

"Just leave me alone. Please," Gia begged and Jordan saw a tear slip down her cheek. She wiped it away quickly but he saw it. He knew she wasn't okay. Hesitantly, he put his arm around her.

"We don't have to talk, but I don't think you should be alone."

"I don't want to lose him," Gia muttered. Jordan looked to her with a frown.

"What? Lose who?"

"I think he changed his mind. I don't think he can wait for me anymore."

"Gia, what are you talking about?"

"Jake," Gia looked up at Jordan. "He wants... he wants the next step."

"The next step from what?"

"You know," Gia raised an eyebrow. Jordan nodded.

"Oh... Is that what you want?"

"No."

"Did you tell him?"

"He wouldn't listen."

"What do you mean, he wouldn't listen?"

"He... he kept insisting I think about it. I know he wants me to agree to it and... and I should..."

"No, Gia. Jake wouldn't..."

"He wants it, Jordan! He's changed his mind. He's not happy anymore. He's telling me there's no pressure, but if I tell him no... it's not going to change how he feels."

Jordan sighed and looked down at his feet. The yellow Ranger had a point. Gia could hit the brakes all she wanted, it wouldn't change the way Jake felt. They were stuck.

"I'm sorry," Jordan whispered and pulled her in a little closer to comfort her.


	40. Romantic Struggles

After spotting a cloud in the shape of a turtle and going in to investigate, the Rangers finally found the Animarium. It was just in time too, as they had spent our on the Sky Ship and were starting to get a little frustrated with their mission.

When they landed the Sky Ship, the Rangers couldn't get off fast enough. Emma made sure she had her camera in her hand and looked around at the jungle before her in awe. It was nothing like the forest back home in Harwood. This was a real jungle, and made the woods look like just a few sticks in the mud. Before she could even take a single breath, her camera was up to her face and she was snapping pictures.

"This place is wicked!" Jake said as he leaped off the ship. "Damn, if this is where the Wild Force Rangers spent their days, I want to transfer."

"Ditto," Noah agreed. "This place looks so..."

"Untouched," Emma smiled. "So natural. Just think, all of Earth looked like this once."

"This place is beautiful, guys. But we have a mission," Troy announced as he walked up behind the three. "Gosei says we need to find the Lion Zord and earn his trust. I doubt we're going to get much of that done by taking pictures or admiring the foliage."

"I guess we do have a job to do," Emma lowered her camera. "It's just so incredible. This place is actually real. I wish Joe could have seen it. He loved the Animarium book as much as I did."

"I think I'm going to stay back," Gia announced from up in the ship as she looked down at her friends. "Someone's got to keep an eye on Jordan, and with this thing, I don't think I'll be much help."

Gia lifted her arm to show the sling. Emma looked a little upset.

"You're gonna miss seeing the Animarium?"

"I wasn't a huge fan of the book," Gia shrugged.

"You sure you don't want to come, Gia?" Jake called. "It could be really fun!"

"I can see all I need to see from here," Gia pointed to the jungle. "It looks nice. Just go find that Lion, get us the powers we need, and then meet us back here."

"So I don't get to enjoy the jungle with either of you?"

"We can always go on that walk..."

"I'm not talking to you," Emma huffed and turned her back on Jordan. He groaned loudly and then rolled his eyes at Gia.

"Maybe I'll head out with you after you guys make sure this place is safe, Em," Gia promised. "I'll even let you take a few pictures."

"Come on, Gia. A bum arm didn't hold you back last time," Jake called. "What if we find a waterfall or a cliff with a view."

"Yeah, like she's going anywhere near cliffs," Emma shook her head. "The human and the mountain kinds are dangerous."

"Come on, Gia. Please?"

"I don't want to go out. I'll just hold you guys back and put myself in danger. I promised mom I'd stay safe, and I think the Sky Ship is the safest place to be."

"Great," Noah threw his hands up, "Now she learns her lesson."

"Are you sure you don't want to come, Gia?" Troy called up. She nodded.

"Positive."

"Alright, I guess it's settled," Troy announced and started to make his way into the jungle. "Come on, guys. Let's get this mission over with. I've got a bad feeling Rebecca's going to find a way to make Ryan walk. Right now, I really do want to see that."

As the Rangers headed off, Jake couldn't help looking over his shoulder at the Sky Ship. He saw Gia walking away and just knew something wasn't right. He had a feeling it had something to do with him and sighed loudly.

"You talked to her, didn't you?" Noah asked. Jake nodded.

"Yeah."

"She didn't take it well?" Troy whispered and took advantage of Emma being really busy snapping pictures to talk. Both he and Noah knew about the talk Jake wanted to have with Gia, and had both offered their advice. Now that Jake had done it, they wanted to know how it went. Given Gia's refusal to leave the ship, it wasn't looking good.

"I told her I wouldn't hurt her. I even let her go with just considering it. As long as she does I guess I can't ask for more. I thought she was cool with it, but I guess not."

"Cool with what?" Emma suddenly asked as she joined the boys in their conversation. All three of them turned away from each other and started to look around. "Guys, what are you talking about? Look, if this is about me getting pissed at Jordan, you were all there when he made his promise. He should have known better."

"Yeah, yeah," Noah nodded his head. "We think you were a little rough on him. This place is pretty cool. You of all people shouldn't really blame him for wanting to tag along."

"You'd have probably done the same thing," Troy added. Emma bit her lip and resumed snapping pictures of the jungle while she walked. The boys were good liars.

-Megaforce-

"You know it's bad when you elect to stay with me over going with your real friends out into that beautiful jungle," Jordan said as he stepped out of the cabin and brought Gia some water to drink. She had cried quite a bit up in the crow's nest right before they landed, and Jordan thought it best to keep her hydrated. If something happened and she needed to morph, her having one arm was already enough of a disadvantage.

"I tried doing it with him before," Gia muttered as Jordan handed her the glass. He sat on the floor across from her and listened. "I talked to Emma about it and she didn't think I was ready. She was right. I was going to do it just to make him happy and... that's not what it's about. It's supposed to be about us, and our love for each other."

"It's not something he should force you to do," Jordan said. "If you're feeling pressured, you need to tell him. If he doesn't back off, let me talk to him."

"But he's... he's not wrong," Gia said. "I do love him. I want to make him happy. I don't want him to have to settle. He's too good to settle for anything."

"Are you ready to take that step? Just from looking at you, I can see that you're not. You're either freezing cold, which I doubt because it's pretty warm out here, or you're shaking because you're scared."

"I just... I want to make him happy. And if making out isn't cutting it for him anymore, I've got to do something else. It's just..."

"You're scared?" Jordan asked and Gia nodded her head. "Are you scared he'll be like Cliff, or are you just not ready. If it's because of Cliff, then maybe we have a little room to work. Jake's obviously not going to treat you the same way Cliff did."

"I can't do it, Jordan. I can't," Gia shook her head and clenched her fists tightly. Jordan could see all her muscles tensing up and he sat beside her to relax her a little bit. He put his hand on her back and rubbed it gently.

"Okay. Okay, if it freaks you out that much, you're not doing it," he told her. "I don't care what the excuse is. You're clearly not ready."

Gia didn't relax. Instead, Jordan could feel her trembling even more. He leaned over to look at her face and saw it was drenched in tears, "Gia..."

"I don't want to lose him, though," she said. "I... if I wait too long... If I can't show him that I am still trying, and I'm always doing my best for him... he'll get bored."

"No he won't."

"Yes he will!" Gia cried. Jordan shook his head and pulled her into his chest. He rocked gently.

"No, Gia. He's not going to leave you. Love is about so much more than just the physical side of it."

"But that's what he's missing. That's why he's not happy anymore! If I can't put out... he's going to think I don't love him and..."

"No. No. I won't let that happen," Jordan grabbed Gia gently by the arms and looked right at her. "I've got an idea."

"You've got a body double I can borrow?"

"Even better," Jordan smiled. "Love is about more than just the physical act. So is proving your love. If Jake just needs to know you're trying, I say you show him."

"I'm not ready..."

"There'll be none of that, I promise," Jordan got to his feet and then offered his hand, "Come on. Jake's going to get a night of romance, and it's going to be perfect for the two of you. It'll be everything he wants without it being at your expense."

"And there's no body double?" Gia asked. Jordan chuckled.

"One of you is bad enough. Let's go inside and I'll tell you my idea there. I promise, it's going to work out."

"It'll make Jake happy?"

"It'll make you both extremely happy."


	41. A Wild Encounter

Emma wasn't going to let something like Jordan and Gia being absent ruin her once in a lifetime trip to Animarium. As a little girl, Joe would read her the book of the legend, and she could go to bed those nights and dream of living on the island surrounded by the lush foliage and the calm, happy, safe animals that inhabited it. She had literally dreamt of being where she was now and nothing, not even the Armada could spoil this trip.

She held up her camera and snapped a picture of another flower. This was a kind she had only ever heard about, but never seen. According to what she had read, this flower had been extinct for centuries and there were hundreds, possibly even thousands of them blooming on the island, as well as many other believed dead plants.

"Man, this place is amazing," she smiled.

"You know, for Zord hunting, this is getting to be a bit ridiculous," Jake said. "I mean, I know it's a pretty big island, but come on, guys. It's got to be really hard for a freaking Zord to hide, and we haven't even seen a trace of it."

"I wouldn't say that," Emma shook her head and the boys looked to her curiously. None of them really knew where they were going, and so had just followed Emma along as she snapped pictures, assuming that they would eventually have to run into some kind of clue, or the Lion itself. "There have been signs of the Lion, and other animals all over the place."

"And you haven't said anything?" Troy asked her. Emma shrugged her shoulders.

"You three were too busy talking about something behind my back," she turned away and snapped another picture, this time of a leaf.

Jack chuckled nervously and scratched the back of his neck. On the way to Animarium he had taken advantage of a moment alone to talk to Gia about their relationship. He had been very patient with her and always had her needs at the front of his mind. If he could say it, he had been a perfectly respectable gentleman when it came to putting up with her. However, his needs couldn't be ignored. He wanted Gia to consider taking another step forward. Unfortunately, after he talked to her about that, despite her agreeing to consider it, she had locked herself up in the crow's nest, and when they did find Animarium and landed, she had opted to stay on the ship with Jordan. She used her shoulder as an excuse, but Jake knew there had to be more to it.

Of course, if he said that to Emma, even just to ask for advice on how to reassure Gia he wasn't trying to pressure he, he was going to get more than a punch in the arm. He tried, through their walk in the jungle, to tell bits and pieces of his problem to the boys and get their advice without Emma hearing. Apparently she had caught on to their whispering.

"It's just guy stuff, you know."

"Mhm," Emma nodded her head and then lowered her camera. She pushed aside and few branches and strayed away from the group. Not wanting to lose her, the boys were forced to follow.

"Where are you going?" Troy called after her.

"The Lion's leading us this way."

"You mean the massive Zord is leading is, and we still haven't seen it?" Jake asked. Emma rolled her eyes.

"I'm following a trail it left behind... I think a couple of days ago. I think he knew we were coming."

"So then why no welcoming party?" Noah asked.

"When have animals ever thrown a welcoming party?" Emma chuckled and glanced over her shoulder. "They're pretty cautious, and generally quite protective of their homes. If my book of legends is right, the Lion Zord, and all the others have been living on the Animarium for thousands of years."

"But we're good guys," Jake said. "I mean, we're Power Rangers, just like the Wild Force Rangers."

"Animals aren't like that," Emma shook her head. "They don't trust because you're a friend of a friend. You've got to earn their trust. I've never told you about the time Gia got kicked in the stomach by a fawn."

"What?" Troy and Noah chuckled while Jake's eyes were wide with concern. Emma nodded.

"I managed to get up close to the mother and fed her some berries. Gia was taking pictures. Mom trusted me, but the little fawn she was looking after, I guess he didn't like that Gia was holding up a camera. Got her right in the stomach. Vanessa was so pissed. Joe was pretty angry too, but on the way to the hospital, I caught him holding back a few chuckles at the story. He was a little easier going about our wild encounters."

"I guess Gia's not so tough anymore if she gets her butt kicked by a baby deer," Troy chuckled and pat Jake on the back. The green Ranger rolled his eyes.

"So because one deer didn't trust Gia a few years ago, the giant lion, which could use us as toothpicks, isn't going to trust us now?"

"Not with whatever we're supposed to get from him," Emma said. "If Gosei's sending us on this mission, whatever we're supposed to get is probably pretty powerful. I doubt anyone would want that falling into the wrong hands."

Suddenly Emma stopped. The boys bumped into her and then saw she was staring ahead at something. They looked and found what appeared to be ruins of an old temple, and it looked like something of a campsite as well. There were a few chairs and a table made from wood.

"Okay... this probably doesn't need to be said," Jake whispered, "But I don't think we're the first ones to find this place."

"You're not," a voice called down and the Rangers looked up to see a man sitting up in one of the trees. He grabbed a vine, swooped down, and dropped in front of the four teens. He stood over them, showing no signs of intimidation. In fact, he looked like, if needed, he could handle a fight.

"Cole Evans," Noah smirked and then nudged Emma. "Bet your book never taught you that. You were on Gosei and Dr. Oliver's archives. You're the former red Wild Force Ranger."

Cole lost some of his defensive demeanour, but he didn't look like he was ready to back down completely.

"Dr. Oliver? As in Tommy Oliver? How do you know him? How do you know about me?"

"We're the Megaforce Rangers. I'm Troy Burrows," Troy stepped forward to take the lead. "Our mentor Gosei sent us here on a mission. We're looking for the Lion Zord."

"You're Power Rangers?"

"The newest generation," Noah nodded. "Maybe you've seen us? We come from Harwood County."

Cole looked around at the four teens and then examined the morpher Troy had held out. He felt the kids were telling him the truth. Though he didn't exactly keep up with the news, it had been hard to avoid hearing about the Megaforce Rangers. On top of that, Tommy had approached him and his former teammates on several occasions and from those meetings Cole had gotten a bit of an update on the latest team. These kids seemed to match the description, and if they knew of Dr. Oliver, knew of Gosei, and knew how to get to Animarium, they had to be the Megaforce Rangers. He nodded his head and gestured to what the Rangers could only call a campsite. "Any friends of Tommy's are friends of mine. Make yourself at home."

"Wait, seriously?" Jake asked. "Just like that? Man, I have a harder time going through security at the airport with a bottle of water."

Emma elbowed Jake hard in the ribs and then looked up at Cole with a smile, "This place is beautiful. Did you and your teammates really live here?"

"Nearly a whole year," Cole nodded and put his arm around her. "It's a really special place. I take it you're into nature photography?"

"How did you know?"

"The camera around your neck," Cole chuckled, "And that little glow you have in your eyes. When I first saw this place, I had that same look."

-Megaforce-

When Jordan got Gia to settle down a little more, he talked to her a bit about the idea he had. Gia was stressing out about her relationship with Jake. Though he wanted to take the next step with her, Gia wasn't feeling ready for it, and was worried that would leave Jake feeling miserable and he would leave her. Jordan insisted Gia didn't have to put out to show Jake how much he meant to her and that she was still trying to give him everything she had, even though it was slow going.

"A dinner?" Gia asked him. "You think a dinner is going to make up for not giving my boyfriend sex?"

"I know guys usually aren't depicted as the soft romantic types, but trust me, we do love to be spoiled from time to time," Jordan nodded his head. "I can take the others out for a night and leave you and Jake alone in the command center. Set the place up like we did for Noah and Rebecca, but maybe light a few candles, make the dinner yourself, and just open up to him."

"You think that'll work?"

"The more effort you put into it, the more he'll appreciate it. Trust me, a lot of guys love this crap. And when Jake sees all you're willing to do to try and make him feel appreciated, special, and loved, he's going to forget all about sex."

"Okay, now I know you're lying."

"A little with that last part," Jordan answered honestly, "But Jake's going to be happy and fulfilled again, and isn't that what you want?"

"You're sure this is going to work?"

"Jake loves you, Gia. He's absolutely crazy about you. He says he'd just be happy if you considered taking the next step above making out. Going all out on a night that's all about making him feel special and loved might just make him cry. Happy tears. Either way, film if for me please."

"You promise."

"Would I steer you wrong?" Jordan asked and raised an eyebrow. Gia shrugged.

"Seems like something you would do."

"Really? And put myself at risk for an ass kicking by you?" Jordan said. Gia smirked.

"Yeah, I guess that's a good point."

"Trust me. Spoil him. Talk to him. Open up. Let him know how much you love him, and everyone's going to be happy. Jake will love you even more for it."

"You better be right about this," Gia nodded her head and then leaned against the side of the ship to look out at the Jungle. Jordan walked up next to her and put his hand on her back.

"Trust me, alright. He's going to love it. The only thing you're going to have to worry about is how it feels to know you owe me one."

"Yeah, I'm looking forward to that," Gia rolled her eyes. Just as she was about to fire back another teasing jab to Jordan, she heard footsteps on board the ship. She spun around for a look and at first she couldn't see anyone.

"What?" Jordan asked but Gia hushed him. Her sword appeared in her hand and she started to move across the ship's deck. "Seriously? You're going to fight with one broken arm..."

"I said shut up," Gia told him. She walked around, looking for whatever could have made a noise on the ship.

"Gia..."

"Jordan, I said..."

"Gia, just turn around."

Gia turned back to Jordan and noticed a woman was holding him tightly, with one arm around his neck. Jordan tried to chuckle.

"It seems we have two stowaways."

"Who the hell are you?" Gia shouted and held up her sword.

"Don't worry about my freedom. Just get to know our new visitor," Jordan muttered and rolled his eyes.

The woman glared at Gia, "I could ask you the same thing. What are you doing here? How did you get here?"

"Flying pirate ship," Gia said and gestured to the ship they were all standing on. "You?"

"Giant Eagle."

"Yeah, that's not as impressive," Gia said. "Now, let my friend go."

"Get off this island. You're not welcomed here."

"We're not here to hurt the island," Gia said. "Look, I don't know who you are, but you're messing with the wrong person."

"Seriously, kid? You've got one broken arm and you think you can take me on?"

"Hey, you've never seen Gia fight," Jordan said and tried to look at his captor. "She's still be deadly even if someone cut off both her arms."

"Don't give her ideas, Jordan."

"Wait... Gia?" the woman asked.

"And don't tell her my name," Gia shook her head and groaned loudly. "This is why you're not part of the team."

"Gia? The team? You're Gia Moran!"

"Sorry," Jordan mouthed to Gia. The yellow Ranger gave him a look and then glared at the woman.

"What about it?"

The woman then let Jordan go, "You're the newest yellow Ranger. Megaforce, right?"

"How... how do you know that?"

"Tommy... uh, Dr. Oliver to you," the woman said. "He's been keeping us all updated on you and your teammates. A few months ago he even asked for some money for a fundraiser you were doing."

"A fundraiser? The fundraiser at school?"

The woman nodded her head and the walked up to Gia. She offered her hand, "Taylor Earhardt: yellow Wild Force Ranger."

"Wild Force," Jordan smirked. "You know, I probably should have seen that coming..."

"Shut up, Jordan," Gia snapped at him. She didn't drop the sword in her hand and glared down at the one Taylor was offering her. Taylor saw the current yellow Ranger seemed reluctant to accept her welcome so she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Look, I don't have all day. I donated money to your stupid charity, but that doesn't mean I'm going to baby you the whole way through. You're a Ranger and you're here, so obviously you're on a mission. I know this island like the back of my hand, and the Wild Zords walking around will eat you for dinner without me. Either drop your attitude and accept my help, or you're on your own."

Taylor didn't wait for an answer from Gia and turned around to leave. Gia clenched her sword tightly in her hand for a moment before it disappeared. She called the former Ranger back.

"I guess I can trust anyone who threatens to choke the life out of Jordan."

"Hey!"

Taylor smirked, "Good move. I'll take you to our home away from home. You'll be more comfortable there."

"I kind of told my team I'd be here at the ship," Gia said.

"Animarium isn't that different from Earth. In a couple of hours, it's going to be dark, and not all the Wild Zords here like having strangers on the island at night. If you want to risk walking through the forest alone that's your call..."

"I'll call the others," Gia said and took out her morpher. She turned to Jordan as she walked past him, "Come on. I guess after you helped me with Jake, it would be mean to leave you as food for Wild Zords."

Jordan groaned as he followed Gia and Taylor off the ship, "Dear God... there's two of them..."


	42. The Night That Wasn't Not Perfect

By the time Taylor got back to the camp, with the two tired teens trailing behind her, it was dark. Over the years, as she and her former teammates came for visits, they had set up lights along the paths. It would give them a better sense of where they were going in the dark, and helped for those weekends where they decided to stay together on the Animarium for a couple of days.

In other words, it was dark, but not pitch black. Taylor could make out Cole's silhouette in the dark, as well as those of four other strangers. She assumed they were the rest of the Megaforce Rangers and made nothing of their intrusion on the island. They had to have come for a reason – which she was determined to find out. As the years went by, Taylor felt herself growing more attached to the island and her protective side for it grew stronger. No one came on the Animarium without going through her first – even other Rangers.

"Taylor," Cole rose up from the table and came over to greet her with a hug. "You found the other Rangers?"

"Ranger," Gia corrected. "I'm still trying to figure out what this thing is."

"I already know that thing is mean," Jordan huffed and pointed at Gia. "I'm glad Emma's dad shot you in the shoulder."

"I'm glad I can still beat you up."

"Good point," Jordan chuckled. Then he noticed several cots had been laid out around the campsite. He spotted Emma's and walked over to see if she was still awake. Gia was tired, but she was more interested in finding out what was going on and what there was to find on Animarium than on getting a little rest. She looked to Taylor and Cole both.

"We're looking for a Lion..."

"The Lion Zord," Cole nodded his head. "Your friend Emma told me all about it."

"The Armada's not letting up," Gia said. "If we want to show them they're messing with the wrong planet, we're going to need whatever power the Lion has..."

"Look, I told your friends, it doesn't matter who you are. The Lion doesn't just give himself to anyone. You've got to earn his trust."

"How do we do that?"

"I'm afraid you're going to have to figure that out on your own," Cole said. "It's not up to me who he chooses. I'm sure, if you're really passionate about preserving the planet and you have heart, you'll figure it out."

"Preserving the planet?" Gia grumbled and rolled her eyes. "Heart? I'll bet you and Emma got along really well."

"I've set up a bed for you," Cole said and pointed to the cot. "You're welcome to rest here one night on the island, and then I'll take you to the Lion Zord in the morning. Hopefully you've got what it takes."

Gia nodded her head and sat down on her cot. After her long walk through the jungle, her feet were sore.

Meanwhile, Jordan had gone right to Emma and knelt before her cot. He couldn't see very well in the dark, but her frame made him think she was trying to get some sleep, if not completely passed out. He walked up to her quietly and put his hand on her shoulder to see if he could talk to her. Emma rolled over as soon as he did and then Jordan could make out the frown on her face. He put his hands up, "I came escorted by two yellow Rangers. I promise, I was safe."

"You shouldn't have come on this mission," Emma sat up and shook her head. "Jordan, you promised you'd..."

"I know. I know. But when I saw how your eyes lit up when Gosei said you were coming here I just... I couldn't miss this opportunity."

"I'd have brought you back," Emma said. "Did you really think I'd come to Animarium and not see if there was a way to get back here after the war? I wanted to be here with you. I just don't want the island from my dreams to turn into a nightmare."

"I'm really sorry," Jordan said. He took her hand and gently pulled her out of the cot, "But I want to make it up to you."

"Jordan..."

"Just, come on," Jordan smiled and pulled her alone, down a lit path. After a couple of minutes of walking he found a beautiful spot under a tree. They could still see the trail, and the lights along the way, but they were bathed in nothing but the moon light. Jordan could tell Emma was trying to mask her awe and was glad he had finally found the perfect way to propose. He held her arms and smiled at her.

"I'll teleport home right after this. I promise," he reassured her. "I just wanted to do something special for you."

"Jordan..."

"And it couldn't wait," Jordan said. "You remember when you insisted I take Gia out to dinner to get her blessing."

"You said you got it."

"Yeah, well... partial blessing. She made me realize my proposal to you was actually pretty lame. When you think about it, years down the road, people aren't going to be asking about the ring. They'll be asking what we were doing in your teacher's basement. That doesn't scream romantic, does it?"

"Jordan, are you..."

"I've been thinking about it for the last few days and... this is the perfect place. You said it yourself, it's the island of your dreams. And I haven't gotten many chances to explore it but from what I've seen, I'm sure this is exactly what you have in mind when you talk about protecting the Earth and everything being so peaceful and stuff..."

"This place is amazing," Emma whispered as she looked around. "I was talking to Cole, and while there are no real animals on Animarium, the Rangers and the Wild Zords live together in Harmony. And if something is taken from Animarium, it's always replaced. Way back when the island was a part of the Earth, it was the same. No one was selfish or greedy, and everything living thing worked together to ensure peace, harmony and balance. It's... it's..."

"Perfect," Jordan said and then lowered himself down to one knee. "So, with that in mind, Emma Moran-Goodall, will you marry me?"

Emma smiled and looked down at her already-fiancé with a nod of her head.

"Yes."

Jordan jumped back up to his feet and then pulled his fiancée in for a loving hug. Emma squeezed him excitedly, kissed him passionately, and then looked around at the scene. She had been content with her engagement in Dr. Oliver's basement. It hadn't been perfect, but she had Jordan at her side and that was all she wanted.

This, she couldn't deny, was better. In fact, there was no way to describe how much more amazing it was. She had the man of her dreams by her side and the scene before her was just perfect. Years from now, when they could start a life and a family together – this was one story she would never tire of telling. She would have to keep the details of Animarium a secret, of course, but this was all she could hope for.

"I love you," she whispered to Jordan. He smiled and kissed her forehead.

"Happy that I tagged along now?"

Emma rested her head on his shoulder and then nodded. Jordan gave her another kiss on the head and then had to pull away from her. He saw her looking up at him sadly and then chuckled.

"Make up your mind," he said. "Should I stay?"

"I wish you could. I don't think the Lion is going to try and hurt us, but just in case something happens, I want you out of harm's way."

"I understand," Jordan nodded. "We can celebrate when you come home. Bring back that Lion or... whatever Gosei wants you to get. I'll be waiting."

Emma smiled and squeezed Jordan's hand lovingly as he pulled out his communicator and teleported to the command center. Emma sighed. She didn't really want to see him go, but knew it was for the best. She took one more look around and then walked back to camp with a smile on her face. She found the others were all tucked into their cots, including Cole and Taylor. She walked quietly to Gia's and tapped her friend on the cheek.

"The second proposal," she whispered as Gia opened her eyes. "You were helping Jordan plan that. That's why you wanted to stay on the ship with him."

"What?"

"Jordan re-proposed," Emma smiled. "He literally made it perfect!"

"Oh... yeah, the second engagement."

"That was why you were staying on the ship, wasn't it? You wanted to help him plan it out."

"Uh... yeah. I couldn't let you go with just a basement proposal," Gia said. "Though him being a stowaway was all his idea."

"It's fine. He's home safe and sound. I'm over it. Thanks, Gia."

"For what? I didn't do anything."

"Working together with Jordan. I know you two love to bicker but I really like it when you do get along."

"I... yeah."

Emma hugged her best friend and then started to go back to her own cot. Gia watched her for a second and then couldn't handle it anymore. She got up and grabbed Emma's arm.

"Come with me."

"What..."

"I don't want to lie to you."

"You weren't behind this?"

Gia pulled Emma out into the jungle, and when they were out of earshot of the others she shook her head and sighed.

"I knew Jordan wanted to propose. I knew he came along to do it here. I didn't know he was going to do it now, and I didn't help him plan it out."

"So then why did you stay behind on the ship?"

"Jordan was helping me with something," Gia said and looked down at her arm. She played mindlessly with the sling as she tried to find a way to tell her best friend without freaking her out.

"What was he helping you with?"

"Promise you're not going to get mad?"

"Is everything okay?"

"Yeah. Well, now it is. Jake wants to speed things up... between us."

Emma looked carefully at her best friend and then shook her head. She was about to storm off back to the camp when Gia grabbed her.

"No, wait! Emma, it's okay!"

"You're not ready, and if he thinks he can get away with pressuring you..."

"He's not pressuring me, and I wouldn't let him anyways," Gia had a hard time holding Emma back, so she faked a pained grunt. The pink Ranger heard it and spun around instantly to make sure she hadn't reinjured Gia's arm. When she saw she had been tricked she glared at the yellow Ranger and crossed her arms over her chest.

"That's not nice."

"Jake was right to bring it up, Emma. He needs to be happy too, and if he's not getting what he needs, something has to be done."

"You're not..."

"I'm not. I swear, I wouldn't. After you stung yourself with a bee last time, we're not repeating that," Gia shook her head. "Jake talked to me on the way here and then... Jordan found me up in the crow's nest. I was upset and he... Look, don't make me say he's an amazing, incredible guy, okay."

Emma smiled and nodded her head, "Jordan helped you?"

"He got me to figure out what to do about this," Gia nodded. "How to compromise between not moving too fast for me and still giving Jake what he needs. Jordan's going to help me plan a romantic dinner when we get home and even if I'm a little worried, I'm pretty sure it's going to make Jake really happy and... Look; you can't make me say your fiancé is pretty wonderful and awesome, alright? I don't hate him, I don't hate that he's with you, and I wouldn't say he's not one of my best friends and one of the only two guys on this planet I would trust completely."

"So you like him?"

"I never said that," Gia held up her hand and shook her head. She could see Emma was getting excited and wanted to hug her. "I said I don't hate him. I might stretch it as far as saying I don't even dislike him, but that's it!"

"I think that's the nicest thing you never didn't say about anyone ever," Emma smiled, and got past Gia's arm to hug her best friend. "I knew you didn't dislike him."

"You tell anyone about this, and I'll kill you," Gia muttered as she reluctantly accepted the hug. Emma looked up with a slight frown.

"Wait? Kill me?"

"I know Jordan's not going to blab. He wouldn't risk it. He's scared of me, and that's how I like it."

"But you like him?"

"I don't dislike him," Gia corrected.

"In that case, this is the happiest you've never not made me," Emma chuckled and squeezed in another hug with her best friend. "It means a lot to me that you like... uh, don't dislike him. Thanks, Gia."

"Yeah, yeah..." Gia muttered. She quickly hugged the pink Ranger and when Emma wasn't looking she smiled.


	43. Lion Hearted

The night before, Emma had been proposed to in what was, without question, one of the most beautiful places in the world. Jordan had taken her breath away with his second proposal and had really given her something to look back on and smile at. To make the night even better, Gia had confessed her fondness for Jordan, albeit in a strange, negative way. Still, Emma's relationship with Jordan was going well, and the two people she cared about the most in the world were getting along and had shown her that they did care for each other.

Now came time for the mission. Gosei had sent her and her teammates to Animarium on business. They were to earn the trust of the Lion Zord, which as Cole reminded them several times, it wasn't easy to do. The Lion was particular about the kind of people he attached himself too. The Rangers would have to prove they were pure of heart.

"Whatever that means," Jake whispered to Noah, which Emma heard as they trekked through the jungle. Emma glanced over her shoulder.

"I think it's good the Lion Zord is careful," she said. "Especially these days, when most people just say what they think you want to hear."

"All I know is we're the good guys," Jake said with a little shrug. "There's a huge difference between us and the Armada. The Lion Zord's got to see that."

"A relationship lasts a lifetime," Cole dropped back in the group and joined the two in their conversation. "When a Zord bonds with you, it's forever. Before he hands over his powers, he has to make sure you're not going to abuse them."

"Cole, we're here," Taylor called and the group stopped in front of a huge cliff. It towered over all of them, making them feel incredibly small. At first Jake was going to ask what about the cliff was so special, but then he looked up and saw a large, bright red lion step out on the cliff and he let out a mighty roar. Jake was slightly spooked and fell back on his butt. Emma couldn't help but chuckle.

"Scared?"

"Not scared," Jake shook his head as Noah helped him up. "Just... wasn't expecting that."

"Mhm," Emma nodded but didn't seem convinced with his answer.

Troy, as leader, decided he would be the one to step up and talk to the Lion. He was the red Ranger after all and figured if anyone stood a chance at bonding with the red Lion; it would have to be him.

"Lion Zord, we need your help."

The Lion looked down at Troy, seemingly intrigued for a moment, but then he looked back up. Cole shook his head.

"He says you're going to have to do better than that."

"He didn't make a sound," Jake frowned.

"We're connected to our Zords," Taylor explained. "We can understand them."

"Our Zords are just hunks of metal," Jake muttered. "It's something I think I'm grateful for."

Troy cleared his throat and tried again. "Aliens are attacking the Earth. We're holding them off, but we need more power. We have to stop them!"

The Lion Zord didn't seem to be listening. Troy turned to his teammates and then Cole and Taylor and gave them a frustrated look.

"He can't possibly want more."

"Let me give this a shot," Noah said and stepped forward. "Come on, Lion Zord, we're not going to be able to win this war without you. All my scans and research show you're one of the most powerful weapons there is. With your help, Prince Vekar and the Armada won't know what hit him... OW!"

Noah turned to Emma after she slapped him hard on the arm, "What? What did I say?"

"The Lion Zord's not a weapon! He's a living being!"

"He may act real, but look at what he's made of, Emma. It's exactly the same as our Zords."

"You're wrong," Emma shook her head. "Come on, you guys. You're doing it wrong! You're acting like... like humans!"

"Uh..."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Jake asked.

"This is his home," Emma stated and pointed around the Animarium. This whole island and everything on it belongs to the Wild Zords. We've got no right to ask them for anything!"

"Emma, this whole place, and Earth is going to be blown to pieces if the Lion Zord doesn't help," Noah argued with her. "I get it if he needs to sniff us out a bit, but the fact of the matter is that he doesn't have a choice in the matter. He's got to side with us. Whether he wants to or..."

"You guys aren't listening," Emma shook her head. "You guys never listen. But you know what, that's fine. If you think you can earn the trust of the Lion Zord go off and do it."

With that, Emma turned her back on her teammates and stormed off. The Rangers and Taylor all looked to each other and shrugged their shoulders. Cole, meanwhile, darted after Emma. He took her busy surprise when he jumped down from a tree and landed right in front of her a little ways away from the others.

"What? Are you going to tell me I have to go back, and we need to work as a team?"

"Actually, I was going to tell you you were right," Cole said. He started to walk with Emma. "You have the right idea. I've been friends with the Lion Zord for over a decade, and I still can't get him to do anything he doesn't want to do."

"It's... it's not just about the Lion Zord," Emma muttered. "It's a little bit of everything."

"Everything what?"

"This island," Emma looked around, "It's beautiful. And I know that thousands of years ago, the Earth looked and felt just like this. The only thing that's different between up here and down there is... us."

"What do you mean by us?"

"Humans. Our attitudes. Our sense of entitlement. I know the others mean well, and I know they far from being the worst of them, but this is exactly what's wrong with us. We think we know best. We think our way is better because it's more sophisticated and evolved. I'd trade evolution any day for this, though."

"I do love being here," Cole nodded his head. "It reminds me a lot of home."

"Yeah right. What on Earth actually looks like this place?"

"I was raised by a tribe in the jungle," Cole told her. "I only left just before the Lion Zord recruited me to be a Ranger. Growing up, we never took advantage of anything. We only ever took what we needed, and we lived in peace with all the animals. One of my best friends was a gorilla, actually."

"What? Like Tarzan?"

"Yeah," Cole chuckled and then he turned to Emma, "Look, I've got to say, I do enjoy some of stuff we've created. The power went out a few weeks ago in my apartment, and I won't be afraid to admit I got a little cranky about it. It's kind of hard to watch TV without electricity."

"I understand that," Emma nodded. "We like to live comfortably. Everyone does. People, animals, even plants don't grow if they don't like where they live. But I feel like a lot of people forget..."

"Balance?"

"Yeah. The Earth wasn't made for us. It was around long before we were, and it'll still be here long after we're gone. It's not our planet. We're not better or stronger than anything else we're sharing it with, and yet we're still chopping down trees, ripping up plants, and killing animals just for the hell of it. Just because we want to. It's not right."

"It puts this war in a whole new perspective, doesn't it?" Cole suggested to Emma. "Humans were fine with taking over the Earth when they were the ones in charge. Now that something bigger and stronger is doing it to them..."

"I never really thought of it that way. But you're right," Emma looked up. She could still see the cliff where the Lion Zord was standing. She noticed the great big Lion was looking directly at her. She smiled at it, "Lion Zord, please, we need your help. The Earth is in trouble. The only way we're going to keep what's rightfully ours is if we work as a team to fight back. This Earth belongs to all of us, and we'll need to all fight together to keep it. What do you say, Lion? Are we teammates?"

Emma waited for an answer, but all she heard was a soft purring sound, and it felt like it was coming from inside her. She put her hand on her heart and could feel the calming vibrations of the Lion's gentle purr. She turned to Cole, "Is that..."

"The Lion Zord is yours now," Cole put his hand on her shoulder. "He's a good friend. Take care of him."

"I promise," Emma nodded her head.


	44. Leaving Animarium

"Okay, okay, I'll admit it, Emma was right," Noah nodded his head once he and the Rangers said goodbye to Cole and Taylor and boarded the Sky Ship to head back home. "Asking the Lion to join our team was the right thing to go."

"And..." Emma pushed for a little more. Noah grumbled.

"Calling him a weapon was wrong. He's a living being. He, and everything else on Earth deserves respect."

"I guess we all kind of owe this place an apology," Troy stated as he looked down. The Ship was lifting on its own, and setting course for the command center. "I guess we're just so used to fighting monsters, we let that get to us."

"You guys are just too human."

"Well, whatever that means, I'm glad we've got the Lion on our team," Jake smiled. "Although I must admit, I'm glad he doesn't actually have to come with us. Could you imagine the size of that litter box?"

Jake looked around at all of his friends, hoping for a laugh but receiving none. "Aw, come on, guys, because he's a big cat so..."

"I should go steer the ship," Troy said and walked off.

"I should get in touch with Gosei and let him know we're on our way back," Noah followed the red Ranger.

"I'm going to take a look at my pictures and see which ones I want Tensou to print out," Emma picked up her camera and walked off. Jake turned to Gia and was still hopeful for a laugh. His girlfriend shrugged her shoulders.

"Sorry. I can't help you. I don't laugh at stupid.

Jake smirked and reached his hand out. He touched hers, "Hey, are you feeling better?"

"Yeah."

"You're staying behind yesterday... that wasn't because of what I said, was it? I didn't mean to freak you out or make you feel pressured or anything. I just... we need to be able to talk about this stuff. You understand that, right?"

"I do," Gia smiled. "I just... needed some time to think about what you said. And I would have been useless on that hunt anyways. We got lucky the X-Borgs and some new alien didn't find us."

"So, you are considering it?"

"I am," Gia nodded. "And... don't worry. Even if I'm not ready for it now, I will be. I just... I need a little more time."

"I get it," Jake answered, though Gia could tell by the look on his face that he was a little disappointed. She leaned in and kissed his cheek. "Hey, cheer up. When we get back to the command center I've got a little surprise for you. It's not going to be what you want, but I promise I'm going to make you happy."

"I'm always happy with you, Gia," Jake answered her and pulled her in a little closer to kiss.

-Megaforce-

In Panorama City, Ally pulled up in the driveway of the Shiba House. She had spent a long day at work, and had very few tips to show for it. To make her day even worse, she knew she was coming home to a sick wife. Lauren had been feeling ill for about a week now, and this morning it had climaxed. Lauren looked pale, she had thrown up a couple of times before Ally could leave for work, and she had nearly fainted when she got out of bed to puke, leaving Ally with a big mess to clean up and very little time to do it. She had arrived at work frazzled, and her worry for her sick wife had thrown her off her game with customers all day.

So, despite wanting to head straight home, crawl into bed, turn on the TV and pass out like the lazy woman she knew she could be, Ally made a stop at the drug store. She picked up medicine for Lauren as well as some comfort food for dinner.

Ally was exhausted by the time she got home, but she knew her wife needed her. She walked through the doors, her arms full of her bags from the day and called out, "Lauren! I'm home, and I know what's going to make you feel better!"

She set her bags from work down in the front hallway. Lauren didn't like when she left her stuff lying around but Ally didn't think her wife would have the energy to nag her today. She carried only her bag from the drugstore into the main room. "If the meds don't make you feel better, ice-cream... what happened in here?"

Though the main room had been a bit of a mess that morning – the consequences of letting Serena borrow their home several weeks back, this was a huge step in the wrong direction. All the books had been knocked off their shelves, some of the stools had been cut in halve or overturned, there was a pile of ashes sitting where the table had once been, and scorch marks along the walls and floors around the room. Something had happened.

"Uh, Lauren. Is there some kind of Samurai flu I should know about?" Ally asked. "Not that I don't want to take care of you... but if your brother wants to stop by to handle this, I can call him."

Ally walked to the kitchen to see if she could find her wife in there. All she found was that the kitchen was its own version of what had happened in the living room. She dropped her bag and hurried to the bedroom. Surely Lauren had to be in there. She was sick as a dog. She had to be in her bed.

"Lauren?" Ally called out frantically and opened the door to their bedroom. Her heart froze when she saw the bedroom was the same as the kitchen and the living room – only much worse. The bed, their end tables, the dresser were all burned, the TV was sliced in half, the fish tank Ally brought with her when she moved in had shattered, leaving glass, water, and her two fish on the floor.

"Lauren!" Ally called and checked the bathroom for her wife. She found a room that had been untouched, but there was no sign of Lauren anywhere.

Just then she heard the doorbell ring. She knew it wasn't likely, but she hoped that was Lauren. She hoped her wife was coming home safe and sound. She ran to the door and a wave of disappointment washed over her when she saw it was only Jayden. With tears in her eyes she jumped into her brother in-law's arms.

"Thank goodness you're here!" she cried. Jayden chuckled and put his arms around her.

"Alright, alright. I know we Shibas get pretty bad when we're sick, but you're being a little overdramatic, Ally. I'm bringing over some soup. Antonio made it, and it always makes me feel better when I've got a cold."

"It's not that," Ally shook her head and pulled Jayden into the living room. The smile slipped right off his face as he looked around. Ally explained how the rest of the house was in a similar state and that Lauren was nowhere to be found.

"Did you check...?"

"Everywhere!" Ally cried. "I can't find her, Jayden! Please tell me this is a crazy Samurai flu, or something you Shibas do when you get sick, because I have a really, really bad feeling something happened."

"Ally, stay calm, alright," Jayden said. He walked over to the bookshelf and started to look around on the shelves and then the floor. He groaned, "You two haven't moved them, have you?"

"Moved what?"

"The Samuraizers?"

"Why... Why do you need the Samuraizers?" Ally asked. "Isn't it just a Samurai cold?"

"I really wish it was," Jayden shook his head. "But last I checked, Samurai got sick just like everybody else. It might be disgusting, but it's just mucus that flies out of our noses. Not fire."

"Someone couldn't have hurt her... right?" Ally asked. "I... I mean, a regular intruder would just get his ass kicked. Lauren's a freaking Samurai. And the Nighlok are all gone. You promised they were gone!"

"They are, Ally."

"Then where's my wife? What happened to her? Why do you need your freaking Samuraizers!"

"Ally..."

"Where is she Jayden?" Ally cried. Jayden took her back in his arms and held her.

"I don't know. But we're going to figure this out. She's going to be fine. Just... go back to my place, okay. Tell Antonio what happened and let him know I'll be back as soon as I can."

"Back? Do you know where she is?"

"No. But I know the Megaforce Rangers can help us."

"Jayden..."

"We need their help. If something was strong enough to get Lauren, we need Power Rangers. And whatever happened to her took our Samuraizers with it."

"You... you want to go to Harwood?"

"I'll bring her home, Ally. Just try not to worry..."

"I want to come with you," Ally said.

"Lauren wouldn't..."

"I can't just sit here while my wife's in trouble!" Ally cried and punched Jayden in the chest. "I want to help! She's sick, Jayden, and if some monster freak has her... I have to be there!"

"Ally..."

"Don't say no to me, Shiba!" Ally growled and glared up angrily at her brother in-law, "Besides, I know exactly how to get to the Rangers' command center, which is where they're staying. And unless you want to waste valuable time looking for the most important woman in both our lives, you're going to let me tag along!"

"Okay, okay, you can come with me," Jayden nodded his head. "Sheesh, Lauren's right. You can be scary when you want."


	45. The Mighty Samurai

Rebecca was excited for her brother and the other Rangers to come home not because it meant they had successfully completed their mission – though that was a bonus. A little frustrated she couldn't tag along on their adventure to Animarium, she had threatened Troy that she would teach Ryan to take her first steps without him. She hadn't been completely serious, but in her boredom while she waited she stood Ryan up by the couch just to see what would happen. Surprisingly enough, after a few flops back down on her bum, Ryan stepped away from the couch. It was only a couple of steps, not enough to really be considered walking, but it was two more steps than she had ever taken. Rebecca was excited to tell Troy all about it, and then recreate what he had missed.

Jordan had arrived in the command center the same night the Rangers had left. He said he had teleported back after getting a little tour of Animarium, but the grin that couldn't be swept away from his face since his return suggested he had done something more than just a tour. Rebecca didn't bother looking into it. She was too busy with her little sister and walking her around the command center so that when the time came to show her off to Troy, she had the walking motion down pat.

Vanessa, after hearing that the Rangers were on their way home, started to feel very nervous. Claire had convinced her that they couldn't stay at the command center for long. Gosei had only allowed them to stay long enough to see the Rangers come home so they could say their goodbyes. Vanessa didn't want to leave. After hearing everything her daughter had been through since she had moved, she didn't want to abandon her. She didn't want to walk away when it was clear Gia needed someone to lean on. Claire reassured her that the Rangers took care of each other and both their girls were in great hands, but Vanessa couldn't be comforted. Nothing was good enough.

Before the Rangers were due home, everyone heard someone coming to the entrance. Rebecca picked Ryan up and held the baby protectively in her arms. It was always nerve-wracking when someone unexpectantly walked up to the command center, and while it had never been an intruder, Rebecca didn't want to be unprepared the one time it happened. Jordan clenched his fists. Of everyone in the command center he had the most Ranger training, and felt that if this was someone dangerous, he would have to step up and defend them.

Fortunately, before they could all freak out, a familiar face walked in. Jayden stepped into view and had a look around at the four people staring back at him curiously.

"Jayden?"Jordan frowned. The former red Ranger nodded.

"Where are the others?" he asked.

"On Animarium," Rebecca answered and put Ryan back down on the floor.

"Ani... what?" Jayden frowned deeply, but then was shoved aside as Ally walked in behind him. The long drive and the long hike up to the Megaforce Rangers' command center had done absolutely nothing to calm her down. Lauren's absence and the state of the Shiba House left her terrified for her wife's well-being, and it seemed nothing was going to get in the way of that.

"Seriously," she demanded. "Where the hell are they?"

"Animarium..."

"That's just a legend," Ally shook her head. "Don't mess with me right now! Where are the Rangers?"

"What is Animarium?" Jayden asked as he put his hand on Ally's arm to hold her back.

"It's a floating island," Jordan answered. "And I know that sounds fake, but it's actually not. It's the home of the Wild Force Rangers and the Wild Zords."

"Tell them to come home!" Ally demanded. She didn't care if Animarium was real or not. She didn't care where the Rangers were. If they were her only hope at getting her wife home, she wanted them here. Nothing else mattered in her eyes.

"They're on their way," Rebecca reassured Ally. "They called just a few minutes ago to say their mission was done and they're coming back. They'll be here soon."

"Good," Ally muttered. Jayden pulled his sister in-law into his arms and then explained to Jordan, Rebecca, Vanessa, and Claire what it was they were doing at the command center.

-Megaforce-

With her arm between the bars, Lauren reached out as far as she could stretching every inch of her arm out to get closer and closer to where her captor had hung the key outside her prison cell. He had done that to taunt her, to purposely give her a little bit of hope that there was a way out, only to have that hope break away bit by bit with every unsuccessful attempt to grab it. Lauren held her breath, and did everything she could to put all her energy and focus into stretching out her arm. She was just millimetres away from touching the keys with the tips of her fingers when the strain on her body was too much. She fell to the ground inside her cell and a coughing fit came over her. As if it wasn't bad enough that monsters had invaded her home and taking her back to their base, but the past week she had been coming down with what was one of, if not the worst flu of her life.

She had no energy. She had spent the day in bed before her attack, getting up only to pee, throw up, or to try and hold something down in her stomach. Her muscles ached, her head was pounding more than her chest, and if she stood up for more than a few minutes the world began to spin and shake and she would fall over. She had been in no condition to defend herself in the attack, and though she had given it all she had, she had been horribly outmatched. Her captors took her and all the Samuraizers that were supposed to stay at the Shiba House for safe keeping, and took her here to this prison. They hadn't yet told her what they wanted from her, but she was sure it wasn't going to be good.

As her coughing fit came to a merciful end, she heard her prison door creak open. Any other day she would have jumped up and stormed out, destroying anything that got in her way, but today she could only lay on the ground. Two aliens, X-Borgs, she had heard they were called, grabbed her arms and dragged her away from her cell and down to a big room. They dropped her on the floor, in front of who she assumed was their leader. He was sitting on a throne and looking down at her pathetically. She knew that was what he was thinking. She felt pathetic. She could barely lift herself up and so decided just to lie where she had been dropped. She hoped, if anything, her captor would deem her useless and let her go.

"This is it?" the alien on the throne announced as he looked at her. "You're telling me after days of research, this is all you dug up?"

"Sire, I know what this looks like," one of the other monsters said. Lauren didn't bother looking up. She didn't want to move. Her only hope was to appear so weak and pathetic they would want nothing to do with her. "But just last year there was a team of Samurai Rangers..."

"More Rangers!"

"We aren't the first species to threaten the Earth. Just before us, a Master Xandred threatened to bring up what he called the Netherworld. He was going to flood the Earth in Sanzu Water and rule it. He was nearly successful."

"Nearly..."

"Prince, all my research tells me the Nighlok were extremely powerful opponents, and Master Xandred's forces rivalled your father. The Samurai Rangers, under the guidance of the head of the Shiba Clan just barely managed to defeat them. You have before you the head of the Shiba Clan and, if my research is correct, by far the most powerful Samurai in existence."

"Well, your research is wrong! If this is one of the most powerful forces the Earth has to offer, why have we not conquered it yet!"

"She could just be playing dead, my Prince."

Lauren heard a scoff and then someone coming towards her. Suddenly, she was grabbed by the hair and forced to look up at the one referred to as the Prince. He stared her right in the eyes and then dropped her head again.

"This is the most pathetic being I've ever seen!"

"Prince Vekar, I know what this looks like but I assure you, all my research and my scans show that she is quite powerful. If you can harness her power..."

"I don't want it!" Lauren could hear the Prince stomping his feet, and it reminded her of the temper tantrum her nieces and nephews would throw when they couldn't get their way. Just to be sure she was actually in the hands of evil, and not just hallucinating from her fever, she had to look up. Prince Vekar was indeed throwing a child-like temper tantrum.

"You brought me the wrong one! I don't like this one!"

"Sire..."

"No! This is unacceptable. Why can't any of you ever get anything right! All I ask is that you invade Earth, and you can't even do that! Now you bring me some pathetic... I don't even know what to call it, and you expect me to believe this is the best warrior Earth has to offer?"

"I..."

"Either you're trying to tell me none of you are strong enough to handle what is easily the weakest planet we've ever conquered or this is some kind of joke."

"This isn't a joke..."

"Good. Because it's not funny! Of course, if you can't defeat the Earthlings when they're no better than this..."

"Perhaps I made a mistake, my Prince. Two humans are believed to live in the home we invaded. I can return and capture..."

"No," Lauren muttered and tried to push herself up. She was one her hands and knees but could feel her limbs shaking and the floor trying to move out from under her. But the thought of the aliens going back to the Shiba House and capturing Ally gave her just enough energy to sit up on her knees. She looked right up at Prince Vekar.

"Oh look, she's alive," Prince Vekar rolled his eyes.

"I'm her," Lauren said. "I'm the head of the Shiba Clan. The red Samurai Ranger."

Damaras looked to Prince Vekar and shrugged his shoulders, "Perhaps I wasn't mistaken."

Prince Vekar knelt before Lauren. He looked right at her and scoffed, "Are you seriously the mighty red Samurai Ranger?"

"Give me my Samuraizer. I'll prove it, if I have to."

"If you're really who you say you are, and if who you say you are is really as powerful as I was led to believe... why do you look like that."

"Do you know what the flu is?" Lauren asked. Prince Vekar shook his head.

"Is it the reason you look so... gross?"

Lauren nodded, "It's an illness. I'm sick."

"Sick!" Prince Vekar jumped back. "You're... sick! Is this... flu... contagious?"

Lauren wasn't sure what to make of his reaction but nodded her head, "Very."

"EW! Get her away from me!" Prince Vekar ordered. Two X-Borgs grabbed her and dragged her off. As she was taken away, Lauren heard the Prince throw another fit as he worried about catching the flu.

She was thrown back into her prison cell and the door locked. The X-Borgs walked away from her but Damaras, who had followed her down the hall, walked right up to her cell.

"You better be who you say you are," he growled. "Both our heads are on the line on this one."

"What do you want me for?" Lauren asked.

"I don't want _you_," Damaras smirked. He then turned away. "I want your powers."

"I am my powers."

"Well," Damaras said, "Then the extraction process is going to be quite painful, won't it?"


	46. A Draining Day

When the Rangers got to the command center, Ally expected them to hear that Lauren was in trouble and race off to find her. She wanted them to feel as angry as she did and go after whoever it was who took her without mercy. She wanted to them to take down and kill anyone who put their hands on her wife.

Instead, they were all huddled around the consoles in the command center, scanning the Earth and the atmosphere around it for signs of Lauren. Ally felt they were just wasting time. Every second they spent in the command center was another second Lauren could be hurt or dead.

Ally had been fortunate enough to only discover her wife's secret after the Earth had already been saved. By the time she knew Lauren was the red Samurai Ranger and the head of the Shiba Clan, there was no need for her to go into battle. Ally didn't have to worry about getting a call from one of the other Rangers saying that Lauren had been killed in battle. But it seemed the life of a Ranger was never over. Retirement was just a wish. At any moment the Rangers could be in danger. Even with the Nighlok gone, Ally was starting to realize her wife would always be under some kind of threat, and it broke her heart to know there was nothing she could do about it.

Emma glanced up and saw Ally sitting alone at the kitchen table. Jordan was helping the Rangers locate Lauren, Rebecca had taken Ryan to the bedrooms to keep the baby out of the way, and Claire and Vanessa, knowing their daughters had another mission, had been forced to leave before the girls came home. They left a goodbye message with Jordan, which Emma appreciated, but it wasn't the same. Still, for now, Emma was distracted with trying to help Jayden and Ally get Lauren home.

The pink Ranger saw Ally clenched her fists and then wiped some tears from her eyes. Emma knew she was scared, so she left the other Rangers and walked up to Ally.

"Hey..."

"Don't talk to me," Ally turned away from her, "Just find my wife."

"We're doing all we can," Emma assured her. "I know it doesn't look like much, but we can already pretty much confirm the Armada has her. If she is up on the ship, we need a way to get in and out without being detected. A rescue mission is kind of pointless if we just wind up getting everyone killed in the process, right?"

"I know you're doing your best," Ally grumbled. "It's just... until it gets my wife home, trust me, it's never going to be enough."

"We want Lauren home too," Emma smiled. "Just look forward to whatever it is you're going to do when she does get back. I'm sure, whatever's happening, she wouldn't want you to be this miserable."

"What could they want her for?" Ally asked. "I mean, they pretty much tore my house apart trying to grab her. Obviously they've got something in mind. What do you...?"

"Don't even worry about that," Emma said. "We're going to get her out before they can get what they want from her."

"Just find her."

"We will," Emma promised and then felt a hand on her back. She looked up and saw it was Troy.

"We've got an in," he said. "Noah found the trash chute. It's unguarded. If we sneak up, we're in and out."

"Sneak?" Emma asked. "In our giant, bright red, flying pirate ship?"

"Jayden's got a plan," Troy said. "He'll explain on the way."

"Don't waste time," Ally muttered to Emma. "Just go."

"We'll bring her back," Emma said and hurried off with the Megaforce Rangers to the ship. Jayden was about to follow, but then he glanced over his shoulder and saw Ally slumped at the table, sobbing. He knew he was going to regret this decision one way or another, but he couldn't leave her like this.

"Ally..."

"Go, Jayden! Bring her back..."

"You've taken a few lessons at the dojo. I think you can handle yourself on this mission."

Ally looked up, "But... but you didn't even want me coming here."

"If Antonio was up on that ship, I'd want to be there to get him out," Jayden said. "Just promise you'll do what I tell you, and you can come along."

Ally nodded her head and raced to join the Rangers on board the Sky Ship. When they saw her coming on, they all looked to Jayden curiously. The red Samurai shrugged.

"She's the last person Prince Vekar would be expecting. It could work in our favour."

-Megaforce-

Despite her weakness, Lauren was never going to give up trying to escape. Her captors had made a mistake leaving her alone, and although the key to her prison seemed to be out of her grasp, she was going to find a way to get it. Anything short of killing herself, as long as it would free her from her prison and get her home, would work.

Her arm was outstretched as she reached for the key, and she was squeezing her shoulder through her prison bars as well, going as far out as she could. She breathed out and then held her breath, making herself as narrow as possible. She gained just a couple of millimeters but she felt the key graze her fingertips. She was close. She shut her eyes and willed her arm to be just a little longer while she imaging her escape. She'd run out of this prison, snatch up hers and her teammates Samuraizers and send herself home. She'd find Ally, whom she was sure had realized something was wrong by now, and reassure her that she was okay. Ally would take her in her arms and hold her. Despite Lauren being the skilled fighter, the one with the strongest Symbol Power of all the Samurai, and a former Ranger, she always felt safe in Ally's arms. She felt protected and reassured that nothing was going to happen to her whenever she was in her wife's arms.

Finally, she felt her fingers wrap around the key. She snatched it tightly in her hand and was about to pull her arm back inside the cell when her wrist was grabbed. She pulled back, but she didn't have the strength to win. Looking up, she saw Prince Vekar had caught her. He smirked before he yanked on her wrist. Lauren fell forward and smacked her head against the prison bars.

"What a show!" Prince Vekar applauded when he let go of her wrist and watched her collapse to the ground. She had the key in her hand, but right now the key meant nothing. Prince Vekar ripped it away from her and opened her prison. "Get up. I want those powers."

Lauren breathed heavily. She didn't want to be moved. She didn't want to give the prince anything he asked for but she had no choice. She had used up all the little amount of energy she had left trying to reach for the key. She couldn't take him on, and putting up a fight would only land her in a bad spot. She could do nothing as the Prince grabbed her by the hair and pulled her up. Lauren tried to move with him so he wouldn't rip her hair out by the roots, but her knees buckled. She fell to the ground. Vekar wasn't pleased.

"I said get up!" he shouted. "When the Prince commands you to do something, you do it!"

Lauren let out a cough. She remembered how he had been startled by her illness before and moved away from her. She hoped to remind him of how sick she was to get him to back off. Vekar just laughed.

"I can't catch the flu," he told her. "I had my medics look into it. Your silly disease does nothing to my superior body. Now get up!"

"I'm trying," Lauren muttered. Vekar grabbed her hair again. She wished he would find something else to hold on to. He tried to pull her up, but she didn't have the strength to support herself, and he wasn't about to carry her. She fell again. Vekar felt frustrated.

"Get up! Get up! Get up!" he shouted at her and kicked her in the side. Lauren wanted to bring up how that was doing nothing to help, but she decided against talking back to the spoiled prince.

"Sire! Prince, stop it!" Damaras shouted as he hurried over and pulled the Prince away from Lauren, ending the kicks to her side. "I understand your frustrations, Prince, but her flu has left her weak enough already. If you hurt her too much, you might kill her before we steal her powers. Then we'd have to settle on a different Samurai Ranger. None of them are as powerful as Red."

Lauren begged to differ, but she didn't say anything. Damaras grabbed her and threw her over his shoulder. It wasn't comfortable, but it beat the bald spots and beating from Prince Vekar. Damaras carried her to another room and then set her down in a chair. As he strapped her in, Prince Vekar looked to her with a tilt of his head.

"You're sure I can get all the power I need to defeat the Rangers from that?" he asked. "I've seen infants who look more powerful."

"I promise, she has all the power you need," Damaras said. Lauren watched as the alien cut open the front of her shirt and then stuck pads on her chest. The pads were connected to wires which led to a computer. She figured that was what they meant when they spoke of taking her powers.

"You know, it was button up," Lauren said. Damaras just looked at her, stuck on the final pad and then walked to the machine.

"I'll drain all her powers into this crowd," Damaras pointed to a crown sitting on top of the computer. "When you wear it, you will have access to all the powers of the head of the Shiba Clan and the Red Samurai Ranger."

"What is a Shiba Clan?" Prince Vekar asked. "Is it dangerous?"

"You will be the new head," Damaras said. "It can be whatever you want."

"I do like the sound of that," Prince Vekar nodded. "Alright, Damaras, start the process."

Lauren heard the machine start and at first felt nothing, Suddenly, a light began to glow on each of the pads Damaras had stuck on her chest. Shortly after that the pads heat up and before long it felt as though he had lit a fire on her chest. At first Lauren could handle the pain. Growing up, she had been burned many times while trying to master her Symbol Power. But when the fire didn't stop after a couple of seconds Lauren let out a pained cry. Prince Vekar's reaction was to cover his ears.

"Damaras! Her screaming is bothering my ears!"

"Humans are like us, Sire. They scream when they are in pain."

"Well, I don't like it. It's bothering me. Shut her up!"

"As you wish," Damaras bowed and then looked around for something to silence Lauren's screams.


	47. Alien Cry-Baby

For Jayden's plan to work, Ally needed to stay hidden as the Sky Ship approached the Armada Flagship. Jayden had assumed that the oversized flying pirate ship wouldn't be able to get past the Armada's Sensors and he had been right. Almost as soon as they began to approach the Flagship an army of Bruisers and X-Borgs greeted them. The Rangers were expecting this and morphed to taken them on. Jayden led the attack on the ship with Troy, Noah, Jake, and Emma backing him up while Gia and Ally used the distraction to sneak into the trash chute.

The plan was really rather complex. The Rangers on the ship were meant to keep the first line of defense occupied. As long as Prince Vekar and his servants believed most of the Rangers were fighting his foot soldiers, he wouldn't think to search the ship. Unfortunately, Gia's arm meant she couldn't fight, and no one wanted to risk reinjuring it only a few days away from when Tensou could fix it up completely. However, Gia was no stranger to fighting hurt, and assured her friends that she could do so if she had to. For that reason Jayden sent her in with Ally.

But Gia wasn't going to stay with Ally for long. Once they could figure out where Lauren was being kept, Ally would go after her while Gia went the opposite direction and tried to draw attention to herself. If all went according to plan, the Rangers would deal with the X-Borgs and Bruisers, as well as keep almost all of the Armada's attention on them, while Gia would get whatever was left. Ally would slip under the radar, gather Lauren, and as soon as she got her wife on the ship the Rangers would teleport home.

Ally prayed everything would go according to plan, especially when she found herself crawling through the alien trash to get up in the ship.

"The most important thing to remember is not to do something stupid," Gia said as she stuck close to Ally, keeping her eyes out for any aliens. "I know how rich that must sound coming from me, but seriously, you're never going to help Lauren if some alien blows you to pieces. If you have to, you run like mad hell back to the ship, got it? We can always comes back."

"Hopefully I don't have to," Ally said. She found the opening and climbed out of it. She turned around and pulled Gia up. The hallway seemed pretty bare. Most of the Armada's forces were focused on the Shy Ship and stopping the Rangers, but it wouldn't be long before someone noticed yellow was missing. The faster Ally and Gia could find where Lauren was being kept, the sooner they could break apart and the better it would be for Ally to slip through the Flagship undetected.

"Jayden said you had some training at his and Lauren's dojo," Gia said. "How confident are you? Should I stay close when we split up or do you think you can handle whatever's left on the ship?"

"I'm just thinking about Lauren," Ally whispered. "I just want to get her out. I don't care if I have to face Prince Vekar himself."

"That doesn't answer my question," Gia said. Ally bit her lip.

"Okay, maybe don't wander off too far, but leave a clear path for me to leave. Oh, and Jake and Emma both wanted me to remind you..."

"Not to drop my morpher. I know," Gia rolled her eyes and held up her morpher. "I've got it, and trust me, I'm not letting go for nothing."

"Okay, good. Now let's find my wife," Ally said and followed Gia closely as the yellow Ranger made her way down the hall. It was mostly just guess work to figure out where they were going. Neither of them had been on the ship before and so had no sense of direction. Gia and Ally had to be very careful when turning corners so as not to be caught.

As they reached the end of a hallway, Gia was about to peek her head around to see if the coast was clear when she heard a voice. She pressed herself up against the wall and instructed Ally to do the same. She listened closely.

"Did it work?" a female voice asked. "Did the Prince get his powers?"

"He's testing them out now," a male voice answered. "He seems quite content with my work..."

"Don't brag. There's still plenty of time for you to screw this up. For instance, have you thought of what you're going to do with the Samurai now that she's useless?"

"I... Well, actually..."

"You know, humans may be a pathetic species, but they've proven they shouldn't be underestimated. I think it would be wise of you to dispose of her before she gets any funny ideas."

"You've seen her. She can barely hold herself up. Prince Vekar's got what he wanted. I'm sure it'll only be a matter of days before the Samurai withers away and then we toss her out like the rest of the trash."

"Mhm, if you say so. I'll be in my quarters, waiting for this to go south. Hopefully I can squeeze in a nap before that happens. You might want to check up on the Rangers' ship. Apparently, they know you've got one of their own in here and they aren't happy. If you really want the Prince to keep that crown, you might want to get them out of here."

"I know how to do my job."

Gia heard the two aliens moving and watched the female one walk right by her and Ally and continue down the hallway, followed shortly by the male. She stepped out and waved Ally through. The was a door in the direction the aliens had come from, and Gia was certain it was a safe bet that was where Lauren was being held.

"You sneak in," Gia whispered. I'm going to keep my eyes on these guys. I'll keep them out of your hair."

"Be safe," Ally said. Gia smirked and nodded her head.

"Aren't I always?"

"Not from what I hear," Ally rolled her eyes but then couldn't be bothered to waste anymore time. She ran for the room while Gia followed the two aliens going in the other direction. Ally waited for all of them to turn down the hallway and be out of sight before she opened the door and tip-toed in. She closed the door quietly behind her and then turned around. She jumped and screamed when she found herself staring right at an alien. Judging by the crown on his head as well as the clothes he was wearing, she could only assume this was Prince Vekar.

In other words, she had run into trouble. Ally gulped.

"Uh... hello?"

"Who are you?" Prince Vekar cried and tilted his head as he examined her. "I don't remember you!"

"I... I..." Ally stammered as she looked around the room for an escape. Instead she found Lauren. Her wife was strapped to a chair and held up only by her restraints. She looked much paler and a lot less healthier than she did that morning when Ally left her, which made Ally concerned that being kidnapped had only made her illness worse. The thought of her wife in pain or of anything happening lit a fire in Ally. She clenched her fists and glared at Vekar, "You're not getting away with this!"

"Oh, you poor thing," Prince Vekar taunted and pointed to his crown. "I already have! Damaras has drained all of her powers and put them into this beautiful piece. What do you think? It suits me, doesn't it?"

"Her powers are in your... wait, but how? Her powers are a part of her! You... you can't have them!"

"I can, and I do," Prince Vekar said. "As long as I wear this crown, I can do whatever I want. I just... if only I..."

Prince Vekar looked up and Ally figured out quickly he wasn't sure how to summon his new powers. Seeing he was distracted she rushed for him. She wasn't sure how to she was going to fight an alien, but she knew she couldn't let him get away with hurting Lauren. She threw a punch and Vekar dodged it, but his reaction afterwards had Ally a little baffled.

"Hey! I have no called for the fight to begin. You must wait until I know how to use this crown. Damaras..."

"You can't call the start of a fight," Ally said. "You kidnapped my wife... I mean... that was... the fight started then."

"I need to use my powers first."

"No!" Ally shook her head and threw another punch. This one didn't quite connect the way she had hoped, but her fist grazed Prince Vekar's head. It shouldn't have been enough to knock him down, and yet the next thing she knew, the almighty Prince was on the ground, holding his head in pain.

"Oh no! Oh dear! It hurts! There's so much pain!"

"I... I... I mean I barely touched you!"

"Help!" Prince Vekar cried. "Someone, Damaras! Levira! Your Prince is in trouble! Oh the pain! The agony! It's too much!"

"Are you... are you serious right now?" Ally looked around the room curiously. "Am I being punked? Guys, this is the worst prank ever! Lauren, this isn't funny!"

"I think... is this a headache? Is this what a headache feels like?" Prince Vekar continued to whine as he climbed back up to his feet and held his head painfully. "This is excruciating! Medic! Help, Medic!"

Ally had no idea what happened as Prince Vekar fled the room. She looked down at her fist. She had barely touched him. In fact, she had seen Felix and Quinn run right into each other and smash their heads together, only to get back up again and continue to run circles around their parents. Prince Vekar surely should have been able to handle what had nearly been a complete miss.

But she wouldn't question in. In Prince Vekar's overdramatic reaction he had dropped the crown and failed to realize it wasn't on his head as he fled. Ally picked it up and then ran to Lauren. She tapped her wife on the cheek.

"Lauren, wake up. C'mon, it's me. It's Ally. I'm going to take you home, I promise."

"Ally!" Gia called as she walked into the room and then shut the door. She had the box with the Samuraizers tucked under her arm. "I just saw Vekar running around calling for a medic. Did something happen?"

"You're not going to believe me," Ally said. She tossed the crown to Gia, "Hold this. I've got to get her out of here."

"Did you see him?" Gia asked. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Ally nodded. She unbuckled the straps that held Lauren to the chair and then lifted her wife, "You might disagree, Lauren, but I really wish I was a man right now."

"Do you need help?" Gia offered. Ally shook her head. She put Lauren's arm around her shoulder to support her wife's weight and then looked up at the yellow Ranger.

"Hey, I managed to get her home over New Years when she had a little too much to drink. For a Samurai, she knows how to party hard."

"I can't imagine."

"Just take my word for it. Do you remember the way back to the trash chute?"

"Uh, and risk bumping into the giant alien cry baby?" Gia shook her head. "We're teleporting out of here. Hold Lauren and don't let go."

Gia put the crown on her head and pulled out her morpher. She walked to Ally and looped her good arm through Ally's and then put her morpher to her mouth.

"Ally and I have Lauren, guys. We're teleporting back. Retreat!"

"We really did it?" Ally looked to Gia with a smile. "Lauren's going to be safe."

"You did it," Gia nodded. "I don't know what you did, but good job."

Ally smiled. She looked down at her wife. Lauren wasn't looking well, so there was still a battle to worry about when they got home, but Ally had her wife back and she was in safe hands. Ally pulled her wife in closely and kissed the side of her head as Gia teleported the three of them out.


	48. Royal Recovery

Ally couldn't believe her adventure and her luck as she got back to the Megaforce Ranger's command center. Lauren was whisked away to the bedrooms so Tensou could look her over and make sure there was nothing to be worried about, but at least she was safe. All Ally was concerned with now was that her wife was safe and sound.

It had been a close call. While Lauren was a terrific Samurai, ill or not, the fact that she had been feeling so under the weather had been a huge worry for Ally. Lauren, who generally got up to train even with a pounding headache and nausea had been bedridden by this virus. Ally worried that would hinder her chances at defending herself. Fortunately, the Megaforce Rangers had been able to help, and with a solid plan from Jayden they got Lauren off the Armada Flagship. There was still a matter of restoring her powers, which had been transferred into the crown Gia had on her head, but that was a problem for later – when Lauren was feeling well again and could handle experiments and testing.

But not everything ran smoothly. Still one of the most terrifying moments of her life had been when Ally found herself face to face with Prince Vekar. For a moment, she thought she was dead. Prince Vekar was supposed to be the ring leader, the almighty warrior, the big bad boss. Yet she barely had to put up a fight before he had run screaming. She considered herself very lucky and knew things could have turned out much worse for her and Lauren.

While Tensou ran some scans on Lauren, Ally could sit in the room. Lauren was resting, and did so until long after Tensou finished his work and got the results. He was out in the main room discussing them with the Rangers. Ally wanted to know if her wife was okay, but she wanted to hear it from Lauren herself. An answer on a paper when her wife was still unconscious and looking very ill was no reassurance. After a long wait, Ally saw Lauren start to shift in the bed. She held her wife's hand and looked over her with a tearful smile.

"Lauren? Lauren, can you hear me?"

Lauren's eyes fluttered open and she looked around with confusion. She noticed Ally, but couldn't figure out where they were. This place looked nothing like home and nothing like the prison Prince Vekar kept her in.

"Where... where am I?"

"The Megaforce Rangers' command center," Ally said and gently stroked Lauren's cheek. "I'm sorry. I know how much you probably want to go home but they made a stop here and Tensou promised he could take care of you and..."

"Where are the aliens?"

"You're safe now," Ally assured her. "We got you out. They can't hurt you anymore."

"We? What do you mean by we?" Lauren looked straight up at her wife with a frown. "Did you...?"

"I wasn't going to let them hurt you," Ally nodded. "Jayden had a good plan. We were in and out. Vekar didn't even hurt me. It's you I'm worried about."

"You... you faced Vekar!" Lauren tried to sit up. Ally held her down.

"He's not as tough as he looks. I kicked his ass!"

"Ally, thank you, but you shouldn't..."

"All that mattered was getting you back," Ally looked down at Lauren lovingly as she continued to stroke her cheek. "I knew you'd be mad but I couldn't just sit back and wait. I knew something had to be wrong for those freaks to kidnap you in the first place and... Do you have any idea how much you scared me? You promised this Ranger stuff was over, and we could be a normal family."

"I guess I lied," Lauren tried to sit up again. This time Ally helped but adjusting the pillows behind her. She looked lovingly at her wife.

"I'm just glad you're okay now. The Rangers can handle that whiny prince, and I'm sure they'll show him it was a bad idea to go after you. If I haven't already."

"Did you really take him on?"

"I wish you could have seen it," Ally chuckled and nodded her head. "It was epic, Lauren. He threw a punch, and I... like you remember when I showed you the movie the Matrix? It was like that! And then I jumped and I kicked him right in the head and he, like, fell backwards, but then he caught himself and grabbed my arm. He tried to flip me, but I surprised him. I... I... okay, I'm lying. I got a lucky shot and he ran away crying. I barely even touched him. I should be dead by now."

"I'm glad you're not."

"Me too. I mean, I'm glad you're not dead too. Not that I'm not glad I'm not dead. That kind of goes without saying..."

"Ally."

"Shut up?"

"I may be safe again, but it still might be a few days until I can listen to your blabbing. My head is killing me!"

"Oh yeah, how do you feel?" Ally asked. "Sick? Sicker? Better? Maybe?"

"I... I feel empty."

"Empty and sick? Or just empty?"

"And sick. This whole time I've been trying not to barf all over your shirt. I thought _that_ went without saying."

"Well, I can take care of that nasty flu," Ally smiled. "I promise, I'll be the best nurse you can ask for!"

"And that empty feeling? I remember Vekar wanted my powers. Did he..."

"We have them," Ally said and bit her lip when Lauren looked at her confused. "It's in a crown. Gia's wearing it, last I saw."

"Why?"

"Why not? It's a crown."

"I mean why are my powers in a crown?"

"Oh. Prince Vekar wanted to wear the crown and have your powers. Kind of like a magic bracelet that grants you super powers, but this is a crown and he couldn't figure out how to work it. I think the others are going to try and figure out how to give you your powers back. Jayden doesn't seem to think you can go for long without them without consequences. I don't see what the big deal is. I mean, obviously I want you to be and feel like you again but... aren't you just human now?"

"No Samurai's ever been stripped like this," Lauren muttered. "I've memorized all the history books. Our Symbols are a part of us. I don't even know how they got mine in a crown in the first place."

"So... can you die without them?"

"Ally..."

"Please don't, Lauren. I didn't kick Prince Vekar's butt only to lose you either way. There has to be something we can do. Some way to stop this or..."

Ally stopped and instead of completing her sentence she leaned in and kissed Lauren. The former red Ranger almost immediately pulled away.

"Ally! I'm sick. You don't want to get sick too!"

"It's true love's kiss," Ally said. "It heals everything."

"You and Mia have to stop watching those movies."

"Why? Is it not working? Aren't you feeling better? It's an almost instant cure."

"I feel better, but that's..."

"So then it is working," Ally smiled and leaned in for another kiss. Lauren pushed her away.

"It's working, but I'm sick."

"I don't care."

"We don't both want to be sick."

"I just want you," Ally whispered and kissed Lauren again. This time the red Ranger didn't move away. She kissed her wife and let Ally hold her. It was the best medicine she could ask for and the only way she could be reassured that everything would work out.

Suddenly, Ally broke the kiss. She looked down at Lauren with a face that meant she was thinking seriously about something. Lauren chuckled.

"What?"

"What if you wore the crown?"

"What?"

"I mean, we can still work on getting your powers back inside you, but temporarily. You know, so you don't feel empty anymore. You should know how to access the powers. They are yours. Maybe if you wore the crown..."

"Just get it. It's worth a shot."

"Yay!" Ally smiled. She jumped off the bed and ran out to find the others so she could get the crown. From her room, Lauren could hear a "hey!" and assumed that in her excitement and without explaining herself, Ally had snatched the crown and run off. She was back in the room just seconds later with the crown in her hand. She held it out for Lauren and bowed. "My Queen."

Lauren put the crown on her head. Ally bounced on her heels excitedly as she waited for a reaction from her wife to see if her idea had worked. Lauren gave the crown a second to settle on her head and then focused her energy into her hands.

"My Samuraizer," Lauren said and Ally reached to the box on the end table and picked up Lauren's Samuraizer. She placed it in her wife's hand. Lauren traced a symbol and then a flame appeared in the air. Ally watched in awe as it danced before Lauren extinguished it.

"Well, I feel ridiculous, but it works."

"You look awesome! The crown suits you."

"You think?" Lauren looked up. "I think I must look stupid."

"Well, you're wrong."

"I have a massive crown on my head."

"Yeah... you know, I've kind of always had a thing for power."

"I may have my powers back, but I'm still sick."

"Fine. But even when they give you your powers back, I'm keeping that crown."


	49. Take Some Time

Emma walked into the bedroom she shared with Gia. Living in the command center wasn't ideal and still a little strange for everyone, but it felt the most familiar to Gia and Emma. Before Emma had permanently moved in with the Morans she would spend many nights sleeping over with Gia either at her place or the yellow Rangers. On those nights, they would share a room and a bed. This tradition continued for years and even after Emma had a room of her own at the Moran's, some nights she and Gia would fall asleep in the same bed. Having a bedroom for the two of them in a way made the command center feel a little more at home.

When Emma walked in, she found Gia rolling her shoulder, testing it out. Tensou had suggested she wear it in a sling for the entire week until he could fix it up completely. No one wanted to risk re-injury. However, keeping it immobile all day meant it got stiff, and when it got stiff it was painful. The pain could travel anywhere from down along her arm and right into the finger tips to right up through her neck and into the base of her head. Stretching it out was all Gia could seem to do to relax her muscles and give herself a bit of relief.

"Do you need help?" Emma asked. Gia looked over and shook her head.

"It's just a week, but I want to take care of it myself," Gia answered and as she pulled her arm out in front of her body she noticed a note in Emma's hand, "Is that it?"

"Our moms saying goodbye. I thought we could read it together," Emma handed Gia the paper. When Jayden and Ally showed up the command center, Vanessa and Claire knew that it was time to leave. Because they didn't get the chance to say a personal goodbye to their daughters, they had written a letter and left it with Jordan. It wasn't what the girls had hoped for in a goodbye, but it was better than nothing, especially when they knew their mothers were once again safe. "Vanessa wrote first. You don't have to read it out loud..."

"We don't keep secrets," Gia said. Emma nudged her.

"We try not to."

"Yeah," Gia chuckled. She put her arm back in the sling and then read her note.

"_Gia,_

"_I didn't want to leave so soon, especially not without a proper goodbye, but I guess there's really no time to rest now that you're a Ranger. Still, please take care of yourself. Listen to your teammates, and for the love of everything good please, please lean on them when you're having a hard time. I'm scared it's going to be a long time until we can see each other again, and if this is the hell you can get up to in a few weeks, I don't want to know what a few months can do. Just remember, no matter where you are, how you're doing, or what's going on, there's always someone out there who believes in you and who loves you. Please come home safe. You're the most important treasure in my life._

"_Love, Mom._

"_PS: I love you too, Emma."_

"Aw," Emma smiled. "I may be an afterthought, but I still get a mention."

"I'm still convinced you're her secret favourite."

"Yeah right," Emma rolled her eyes. "She wrote you a paragraph and called you treasure."

"Just read yours," Gia said. Emma nodded her head and started reading her note.

"_Emma,_

"_This was not the way I wanted to reconnect with you. Though I hate every day you're gone, I always imagined seeing you again would be something right out of a movie. We'd spot each other from down the street after an amazing battle against the Armada. You'd start crying happily, saying we won, and you'd run into my arms and I'd start sobbing like a baby. Then next thing we know, we're on some new, safe, adventure down in some jungle somewhere. You with your camera snapping pictures of everything and me enjoying the time I finally get to spend as a mother..."_

"Damn. I thought my mom was sappy."

Emma looked up from her note and glared at her best friend. Gia looked sheepish and nodded, allowing Emma to continue reading.

"_Unfortunately, I screwed up. I screwed everything up. I know you don't want me to say it anymore, but I am sorry. I should have done better. Maybe then you wouldn't have gotten caught up in this mess with your father, or Jeff, or Mr. Goodall, or whatever you want to call him. Because of me, you've had to suffer through some horrible things a child should never have to go through._

"_But I want you to know that's going to stop. Mr. Morris is nothing to us, and now that Jeff is gone, we can finally put this non-sense about your father behind. All that's standing in the way of us being happy is the Armada, and if you fight them with half the passion you had at the ice-cream shop, which I heard all about from the boys, then I know I'm going to see you and all the Rangers come home. We're going to be happy, and I'm going to be there for you always. I _will_ be the mother you always hoped to have and I promise I'm not going to let you down._

"_There. You have it in writing, with Vanessa and certainly Gia as witnesses. Come home, sweetheart. I promise, it's going to be everything you wanted._

"_Love, mom._

"_PS: Next time Gia threatens to throw herself off a cliff, just push her._

"_PPS: Gia, I'm kidding. I love you too. Stay safe."_

"Aw, that's... sweet. Emma, are you okay?" Gia asked when she saw a tear hit the note and looked up to see Emma was crying. Gia pulled her in for a hug. "See, Em, I always knew it. I always knew things would turn out for you. You deserve this."

-Megaforce-

After getting Lauren what she needed for a comfortable sleep at the command center, Ally finally decided to take a moment to look after herself. She stepped out into the main room, expecting it to be bear. She had heard the others go into their rooms for bed and assumed that everyone had called it a night at once. She was surprised to see Troy, Jayden, and baby Ryan were awake and at the kitchen table.

"How is she?" Jayden was the first to ask. Ally let out a sigh of relief and sat down on a chair.

"She's finally good. I checked her temperature and her fever's below a hundred, which is good."

"It's a relief."

"Her headache's not that bad, though I gave her something to help her sleep. And she hasn't thrown up once since she got home."

"Hear that, Ry," Troy looked down at his little sister. "Lauren's throwing up less than you."

Ryan clapped her hands excitedly. Ally chuckled.

"I agree with mini-red... only because that's less for me to clean up."

"What about her powers?" Jayden asked Ally. "The crown..."

"It's working, but I think Lauren's desperate for a permanent fix. She's not very excited about having to wear a crown for the rest of her life..."

"Tensou's going to be working around the clock on restoring her powers," Troy promised. "If there's anyone who can figure it out, it's him."

"I hope he can do it soon. I really don't want to find out what happens to a Samurai without powers," Jayden said. "We're born with this. It's who we are. I could never imagine losing it."

"She's going to be okay," Ally assured her brother in-law. "I mean, she's got all of us looking after her. If there's an adjustment periods, we just have to take it a day at a time. I know I didn't fall in love with her because she can write with fire in the sky."

"It's different when you're a Samurai..."

"She's always going to be a Samurai," Ally said. "She's always going to be the head of the Shiba Clan, one of the two red Rangers who destroyed Master Xandred for good, my wife and your older sister."

"I know... I know..."

"So don't be miserable for her," Ally said. "Because if she does have to wear a crown for the rest of her life, I'm sure she's going to be miserable enough."

"Okay," Jayden put up his hands. "I'll try and cheer up about this."

"You better. She'll be leaning on both of us."

At that moment, as if to break up the tension, Ryan started to coo. Troy chuckled softly as he bounced her on his leg to keep her entertained. Ally couldn't help but smile at the sweet sound and Jayden looked at the baby and let out a breath.

"Any reason she's here, Troy?" he asked. "In our experience, a baby is a handful without Ranger duties. Why don't your parents have her?"

"They're dead."

"Way to go," Ally whispered to Jayden and smacked his arm. Troy shook his head.

"It's fine. I'm... adapting."

"That doesn't sound promising," Jayden said. "Are you sure everything's okay? If you wanted to talk..."

"There's nothing to talk about," Troy said. "One of Vekar's plans actually worked. He blew up my home, with my parents and Ryan inside. She survived, fortunately, but they didn't make it."

"I'm sorry," Ally whispered. Troy shrugged his shoulders.

"We're in a war. It happens. I just... I feel bad for Ryan and Rebecca..."

"Why not yourself?" Jayden asked.

"I don't really have time," Troy looked down at Ryan, who was playing with his hands, discovering his fingers. "Between this one needing someone watching her all the time, making sure Rebecca doesn't get into much trouble, and leading the team..."

"You don't always have to be the fearless red Ranger," Jayden said. "I tried that. It was exhausting. When someone happens, you're allowed to let yourself go. You're allowed to take time off."

"I need to be the leader," Troy said. "Gia's next in command and between her suicide attempt and her shoulder..."

"Whoa, suicide?"

"She says she's doing better, but I'm worried if I put the weight of the team on her shoulders it might cause her to crack again."

"Maybe not," Jayden shook his head. "Maybe having a team looking to her will give her the sense of purpose she's looking for."

"What do you mean?"

"Serena's pretty good with confidentiality," Jayden said. "But some stories do get out. Gia's purpose right now is Vrak. Switch it up. Take the time you need, give her something else to focus her energy on and Vekar and his forces won't have any idea what hit them. It can be done. And sometimes needs to be done."

"Says the guy who apparently hogged all the cool weapons and powers and never let his team help him," Ally rolled her eyes. "I hear stories too, you know."

"That's why I know it's not good to pretend like your problems don't matter," Jayden said. "Take a break, Troy. Mourn your parents, figure out what you're going to do to look after your sisters. It'll make you a better red Ranger if you do."

"I guess a little time off being the leader might do me a bit of good," Troy said. "It's not like the others aren't capable of taking care of themselves for a while."

Troy smiled and looked down at Ryan. He tickled her stomach, "Maybe while I take some time off you can show me your new moves. Becca told me you were taking your firsts steps."

Ryan giggled and fell into her brother's arms. Troy hugged her close and looked to Jayden and Ally, "Thanks, guys."

"No problem. And just remember, we're always only a phone call away."

"I will. Goodnight."


	50. Defending Honour

The following morning, the Rangers were pulled from their sleep by an alarm. They rushed out of their rooms to the consoles and had a look to see what was going on.

"Looks like Vekar isn't just going to let us win this one," Jake muttered when he saw a new alien leading an army of X-Borgs through the city. "I guess we're just going to have to kick his butt."

"Let me help," Jayden offered and had his Samuraizer in hand. "As much as I enjoy retirement, I can't say I haven't missed a good battle."

"We'll take all the help we can get," Troy stated appreciatively. "Rangers, let's see what this guy wants."

The Rangers, including Jayden, all nodded their heads and started to run out. Troy was the only one who stayed behind and when she hurried past him, he caught Gia's arm to keep her back to. Gia groaned.

"I'll take care of my shoulder, I promise."

"I know you will," Troy nodded his head. "I know you'll stick close to the guys."

"So then what's the matter?"

"I want to step down."

Gia frowned deeply, "What? Why? You're the red..."

"I know, I know. I'm the red guy, I'm the leader. I'm the one everyone's counting on but... I can't juggle it all right now."

"Troy, we're here for you. You know that. Whatever you need..."

"I need to look after myself and my family," Troy said. "I need to get my life back in order before I can be responsible for all of yours."

"You've been doing a great job, Troy. I know it's hard. I've been there, but..."

"You still had your mother," Troy shrugged his shoulders. "You had someone to fall back on."

"We're here for you. You're not doing any of this alone."

"I know I'm not, but this is what I need right now. I can't do it all, and I don't even want to try. I don't want to risk anyone getting hurt."

"So you're not coming?"

"I am. I just... I can't be at the front anymore. I have to sit back. The Ranger stuff can't be my top priority, and if I can't put you Rangers first, I don't want to be leader."

Troy stood up straight and decided to just spit it out. He knew Gia could go back and forth with him all day, and he didn't want to keep the others waiting for too long.

"I'm still a Ranger. I'll still work just as hard as always on the battlefield. But I'm handing over the role of the leader to you."

Gia started to laugh but then realized Troy was serious. She pointed to herself. "Me? Leader? Have you not seen my track record? I make stupid decisions, I'm reckless, I'm..."

"You can do it."

"I have a busted shoulder. For the next few days at least how are aliens supposed to be intimidated when I've got one arm?"

"Take off your helmet," Troy chuckled. "I wouldn't do this if I didn't think I was leaving the team in the best hands. I think this will be good for both of us."

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely," Troy nodded his head. "Go out there, captain. Kick some ass. The whole team's behind you."

"Captain, eh?" Gia smirked as she started to walk through the door, "I like the sound of that."

-Megaforce-

When the Rangers arrived in the city they found the monster stomping around. Aside from having scared away the civilians he didn't seem to be causing much trouble. It was almost as if he had been waiting for them. Gia glanced over her shoulder at Troy, who had taken her place in the usual line up. She saw him give her a nod and knew what she had to do next. She turned back to the alien.

"That's enough!"

"Rangers," the alien smirked as he looked to each of them. "I have come to save the Prince's honour!"

"After seeing him scream for mommy, I don't think all honour's been thrown out the window!" Gia fired back.

"You dare to mock the Prince after leaving his face scarred?"

"Oh please. From what I hear that was barely a hit!" Gia scoffed. "Your mighty Prince ran away screaming as soon as the first punch was thrown!"

"I will uphold the Prince's honour!" the alien shouted. "I will destroy you!"

"Come on, guys," Gia glanced back at her teammates. "Why don't we make the old guy feel a little more welcomed."

"Old guy?" Jayden frowned. Gia smirked and pulled out her white Samurai Ranger key and her teammates followed suit with each of their respective colours except for Troy. When he pulled his key out from his pocket he frowned to see yellow.

"Um, Gia, I think there was a mix up," he said and tried to grab her attention. Gia morphed and looked at him with a shake of her head.

"Nope. I pick-pocketed you on the way here. I figured there's already one red guy. That's more than enough!"

Troy didn't get another chance to argue as the X-Borgs fell upon him and his teammates. Reluctantly he had to morph into the yellow Ranger to take them on.

Jayden summoned his Fire Smasher right away to clear a path straight to the alien. As he made his way through the X-Borgs he looked around at his teammates on the battlefield and a smile crept up on his lips. There were different people in the uniforms, each with different styles from his own teammates, but it did feel like old times with his Samurai team, and thanks to Gia swapping out Troy's red key for her yellow, everyone of his friends were represented. He felt stronger because of it.

He knocked down the final X-Borg standing in his way and found himself alone as he faced the alien. As far as he was concerned it was Prince Vekar who gave out the orders to kidnap his sister but if this alien was going to defend Prince Vekar's honour than Jayden wouldn't hesitate to use him to send a message back to the Armada. Anyone who messed with the Samurai Rangers was going to get their ass handed to them. Jayden wanted to make sure that his family would be safe from here on out.

"Tell your Prince," Jayden said as he swung his Fire Smasher at the alien, "That next time he tries to push a Samurai around, he better be able to handle the fight!"

"Prince Vekar is far more powerful than any of your humans can ever hope to be!" the alien shouted back. "Your little friend just got a lucky shot!"

"Is that what we're calling cowardice now?" Jayden taunted and struck the alien across the chest.

Meanwhile with the X-Borgs, Troy summoned his Earth Slicer and tossed it. He watched it take down the X-Borgs that had circled him and smirked. While he wasn't used to having the yellow Ranger's powers he was going to make the best of it. However, he could feel his powers were draining. Legendary mode, while it was very powerful, couldn't be maintained for long. It took up too much of the Ranger's powers, making it necessary to switch rapidly between teams or for the Rangers to power back down to Super Megaforce. Troy could feel it was time to switch it up and glanced over at Gia so she would know to make the call.

"Wild Force!" she called out and the Rangers morphed into the Wild Force team. Troy looked down at his key as he did this and smiled to see Gia hadn't taken all the red ones away from him.

Jayden saw the new Rangers had swapped teams but he didn't let distract him. While the alien stumbled, Jayden assaulted him with attacks. Though he had the strength to summon a final strike on his own, Jayden wanted the Armada to see their soldier struggling. He wanted them to witness the power of the Samurai and them to realize that messing with his big sister and stripping her of her powers was a costly mistake.

So he let the alien live just long enough to knock him to the ground and hear his grunts and groans of frustrations. The alien kicked up his legs to try and knock Jayden down, but Jayden couldn't be pushed around. He thought of his sister and the pain she had to have endured as this alien's Prince tried to claim her powers – a huge piece of who she was – for himself. He let that rage empower him until he heard the alien call out for mercy.

"Please, please stop!"

"This is for my sister's honour," Jayden smirked. He brought down his Fire Smasher and watched as the alien exploded at his feet.

Behind him, he could still hear the battle raging on. While he had defeated the big bad alien there were still X-Borgs that needed to be taken care of. He noticed the Rangers had switched again from Wild Force into what he assumed was the Dino Thunder team. He had heard about these Rangers but had never met them personally before. Still he watched with a smile on his face as the new Rangers held their own in battle.

Gia struggled a little more than usual. She wasn't used to being leader of her entire team and was trying to balance fighting with letting her shoulder rest. Generally when she stepped up, Troy was off taking care of some other business and her teammates didn't really need her calling out all the shots. They just looked to her in case the battle got a little too heated. Now she had to juggle her own fights, she had to keep an eye on her teammates, and every so often she would have to call out that it was time to switch powers, and she would have to let her teammates know which team's powers they were going to use. It was a lot of quick thinking and a lot of multitasking.

But she loved it and she smiled when she felt her powers draining again and knew she needed to make the call.

"Ninja Storm!" she shouted and morphed again, her teammates all following her lead.

Though Jayden had defeated the alien, it seemed Vekar wasn't going to let the Rangers win that easily. He sent more X-Borgs in. The Rangers weren't thrown off by it a bit, and though Jayden wanted to help out he didn't know where to start. No one looked like they were overwhelmed.

"Time Force!" Gia cried out again and the Rangers all morphed. Jayden watched, impressed with how well the new team could adapt to their predecessors suits and powers. Whenever they could they tended to stick to their respective colours, but even that had to be tough. Just like how every colour on a team was different, every team had their unique abilities that made them especially suited for their own wars. It was impressive enough watching the new Rangers juggle all of that so flawlessly.

Finally, even with the new wave of X-Borgs, there were only a few of them left. Gia called out for the Rangers to morph into the Zeo Rangers' powers and finished them all off. Jayden watched the explosion and saw the Rangers standing victorious. He lowered his Fire Smasher and clapped his hands.

"Good job, Rangers. I think Vekar's going to think twice before he tries something like this again."

-Megaforce-

"Why didn't you wake me up?" Lauren cried after Ally told her the Rangers and Jayden were out in a battle.

Ally shrugged her shoulders nervously. "You're... well, I mean, for starters you're pretty sick."

"I'm feeling better."

"Better, but not great," Ally pointed out. "Also, you had your powers drained..."

"I can still fight! I can still help them!"

"Going back to point number one, where you're _sick_."

"Ally, I'm a Ranger. In sickness or in health..."

"No, see, you're confused," Ally shook her head, "Sickness and in health is what we said when we promise to spend the rest of our lives together."

"You should have at least let me know what was going on," Lauren grumbled. Ally sat next to her on the bed and put her arms around her.

"But you look so cute when you're sleeping... snotty nose and drool excepted. That's never sexy."

"Ally..."

"What? It's true. No one likes that," Ally shook her head and then chuckled when she saw her wife rolling her eyes. She leaned in and kissed Lauren's cheek, "Now that you're up, we can see what's going on. I did hear Jordan and Rebecca cheering, though. That's good news, right?"

Ally helped Lauren out of bed and the two of them walked to the main room. While Lauren joined Rebecca and Jordan by the consoles to get updates on the fight, Ally saw Tensou was fiddling with the crown, likely working on giving Lauren her powers back. She heard a sigh coming from the little robot and walked up to him.

"Anything?"

"I'm trying everything," Tensou looked up. "All I've managed to do is figure out Lauren's in no more danger from having her powers removed."

"So either way, she's going to be okay?" Ally asked. Tensou nodded.

"I'm sorry, Ally. I'm trying everything. I just don't think I have the technology to restore her powers," Tensou held out the crown. "I really thought I could do it."

"As long as Lauren's not in danger, I don't care about stupid powers," Ally said. She took the crown and examined it. "She's got this whenever she needs it. All's not lost."

"Is she going to be mad?"

"Let me break the news to her," Ally said. "Thanks for your help, Tensou."

"I really wish there was something else I could have done. I'm made to fix things and help the Rangers. I..."

"Tensou, really, it's okay. I'll have Antonio look at it when we get home. He might know something."

Tensou nodded and then rolled off. Ally looked down at the crown. She hoped Antonio could figure out something. As much as she wanted a life where her wife wasn't in danger simply for being a Ranger and the head of the Shiba Clan she wanted Lauren to be happy most of all. She knew Lauren wouldn't be happy having to wear a crown just to trace a basic fire symbol.

She walked up to Lauren and put a hand on her shoulder, "How did they do?"

"They won. Fortunately," Lauren breathed a sigh of relief and turned away from the fight now that the Rangers were on their way home. She looked at Ally and then saw the crown. "Has Tensou...?"

"He tried everything. He says he doesn't have the technology to fix it."

"Oh..."

"Hey, I know how much your powers mean to you," Ally said. Tensou's going to let us take the crown home. We'll see if Antonio can do anything. If he can't, we'll look for someone else who can."

"What if no one's out there?" Lauren asked. "What if I'm never me again?"

"Your powers don't make you who you are, Lauren."

"I'm a Shiba," Lauren said. "If I don't have my Symbol Power anymore... what am I?"

"You're still a Shiba."

"What about our kids? I know there's no need for them to be Samurai, and I know the Fire Symbol will be passed on with Jayden but... I wanted to teach our kids. I wanted them to train like I did."

"Well, not exactly like you, right?"

"I want them to know where they come from and be proud of it. I want them to feel a connection with the family, with their grandfather. I still want that connection to my father."

"Lauren, we're going to figure this out. I promise, it's going to be okay. And even if you don't get your powers back, you're still all of those things."

"No..."

"Yes. Your powers are gone, but you're still Lauren Shiba. You're still the same person who trained her entire life to save the world. You still know how to draw Kanji and fight. You'll teach them, and you'll be the best darn Samurai teacher they'll have. I mean, look at me. You've only been training me for a year and I already kicked an alien prince's butt!"

Lauren chuckled softly. Ally pulled her in a little closer.

"Powers or not, you're still the best Samurai ever. At least in my eyes. I promise, everything's going to be okay."

"And my dad?"

"You're his daughter. That connection is never going to go away."

Lauren smiled and rested her head on Ally's shoulder.


	51. Jake's Special Night

_Author's Note: I promised you all a contest and it's coming up in the next chapter. The winners of the contest will receive a deleted chapter. Just to get you all excited, I posted an except from the chapter. It's an alternate direction from where I first intended to take the story, but then decided on a different route. Everyone is allowed to participate in the contest._

_But first, I'm giving out a clue. Anyone who reviewed chapter 50 before this was posted will receive the clue. It should help for the first part of the contest._

_Good luck, everyone!_

* * *

_He held his arms out and called his sister over. Ryan looked at him, laughed, but then fell on her butt and crawled back to the bag. Troy shook his head, picked her up and put her back against the wall. "Come on, Ryan. Come to me. Come to big brother!"_

_But Ryan was having none of it. She fell and crawled back to the toys. This time, she dropped LT, too distracted by the bags. Troy snatched up the tiger and then his sister. He put her back against the wall and held out the tiger. He hoped her favourite toy would entice her to walk over._

_"Come on, Ryan. Come to LT. See LT. Meow! Meow!"_

_"LT does not meow," Gia stated defensively as she watched from the couch. "He's a ferocious tiger. If he wanted he would eat your face. He roars."_

_"You gave him to Ryan now, so he meows," Troy answered._

* * *

_On to the story:_

Since her trip to Animarium she had been planning a special date night with Jake. While she wasn't ready to take the next step, she knew their relationship couldn't just be about her needs. It had freaked her out when Jake told her that he needed more from her, but with Jordan's help Gia felt she had reached a healthy compromise.

She had a dinner planned and had to get everyone to either lock themselves in their rooms or to leave for the night. Jake knew she was up to something but Gia didn't want him to know all the details. She wanted a little surprise for him. She asked Jordan to take him out for the rest of the day while she was busy with her preparations. Only Emma was allowed to stay at the command center because Gia knew she was going to need the extra hand.

"Jake's going to love this," Emma smiled as she set the table. They still had the table cloth from Noah and Rebecca's date and used that to make the table look nice. Gia didn't want the date to feel like it was taking place in the command center. She wanted romance.

"I hope he does," Gia said. She was in the kitchen. Jake had figured out she was making a dinner for him and hinted that his favourite food was hamburgers. It wasn't exactly the most romantic meal but this night was about making Jake feel special.

Gia was going to add a special touch to burgers and fries, and had decided to make the patties herself, despite having several boxes of frozen patties in the freezer. It was more work than she needed to do, especially with her shoulder still hurting her, but it was worth it for Jake.

"He's going to," Emma reassured. "He's crazy about you, you know."

"I kind of got that," Gia chuckled. Emma finished setting the table for now and walked over to the counter. She leaned against it while Gia shaped the patties.

"Don't push yourself tonight, Gia, but don't hold back either. If you feel you want to do something more tonight, just go for it. Jake's not going to hurt you."

"I know he's not. He's not the problem here, Emma."

"I know, but the first time's always going to be a little scary and awkward and... you kind of just have to power through it."

"Was it scary and awkward for you and Jordan?"

"Of course. I was vulnerable, and even though I never had an experience like Cliff, he kind of scared me. But I trusted Jordan, and I loved him. When you're ready, don't let Cliff scare you off. It's not fair to Jake and it's not fair to you."

Gia nodded her head, "Tonight's not that night."

"Yeah, but when it is," Emma smiled and then pointed to the burger patties. "Do you need help?"

Gia thought about it for a moment. Emma was a vegetarian and while she never had a problem with her friends eating meat around her she preferred not having anything to do with handling it, especially raw. Gia didn't need help with the patties themselves but thought it would be fun to make Emma sweat it out a bit.

"My shoulder is killing me, but if I need to have these shaped out soon or I'll fall behind schedule. I really want dinner to be ready when Jake gets back."

Emma gulped, "So... do you want me to take over with the patties while..."

"Can you cut up the potatoes, actually?" Gia smirked. Emma sighed with relief and then slapped her best friend on the arm gently. She walked to the bag of potatoes and rolled her eyes.

"That's not funny."

"Not for you," Gia chuckled, "but I found it hilarious."

-Megaforce-

"Jake, your girlfriend is planning a romantic night for you," Jordan groaned and dropped his head back as he reluctantly followed Jake into a flower shop. "This is the one time where you don't need to worry about flowers."

"You might not love your girlfriend, but I do," Jake said and he walked straight to the roses. Jordan frowned.

"I love Emma. It's just... this is her night to make you feel special. She should be the one buying flowers."

"I think it's romantic," Rebecca commented. She, Noah and Troy had gone out together to train in the woods to keep busy while Gia had invaded the command center. But they met up with Jake and Jordan because they had plans to see a movie once they dropped off Jake for his date night. It was going to be a double date with Jordan and Emma and Noah and Rebecca. Troy would tag along with Ryan, but there was a play center next to the movie theaters where he would take Ryan. He hoped being surrounded by toys and fun activities would get Ryan to show him how she was taking a few steps, and maybe even get her to walk around.

"You would," Jordan muttered to Rebecca and looked back to Jake, "Why not save your money for a time you really need to get her flowers?"

"Guys, I know what this looks like to you," Jake said. "I'm the one always holding back, always putting his own needs aside for Gia."

"You are," Troy stated.

"Okay... yeah, I am, but Gia's not... it's not a smooth and easy ride for Gia. She'd kill me if she found out I told you guys, but the first time we tried to make out she cried."

"Were you that bad?" Rebecca asked her step-brother. Jake groaned and shoved her gently.

"No. She got scared. We're both trying really hard to make the other happy. Gia isn't going to all this trouble because she owes me one. She's doing it because she loves me. The least I can do is show up with flowers."

Jake picked up a bouquet of a dozen roses and then took out his wallet, "Besides, every time I give her flowers she smiles."

"Aww!" Rebecca cooed and grabbed Noah's arm. "You should take pointers from him forever. He knows what he's doing!"

"I bought you flowers when I asked you to dinner."

"I'm just saying, for future reference, consult Jake."

-Megaforce-

"You look amazing!" Emma said after she stepped back. She had to help Gia get into a dress for the night, which Gia insisted she wear. It wasn't often Gia liked to slip on a skirt or a dress. In fact, if Emma's memory served, the last time Gia had even touched a dress had been on their junior prom night. Tonight, the yellow Ranger seemed to be going all out.

"It's not too much?" Gia asked and looked at herself in the mirror. Emma shook her head and fixed up Gia's curls slightly.

"If the food tastes half as good as you look, Jake's going to have the best night of his life," Emma smiled. She looked at Gia in the mirror and noticed her best friend seemed to be trying _not_ to smile. She chuckled and lightly tickled Gia's sides. "You don't have to act anymore, Gia. We all fear and love you. You're allowed to let go."

Gia gulped and looked at herself in the mirror again. She cracked a smile though when she heard Jake's voice from the main room. Emma chuckled as her best friend grew excited.

"He's here!"

"Have fun, Gia," Emma said. "Remember, go with what feels right, even if it's a little scary."

Gia nodded her head and walked to the door. She took a deep breath and had to look for a nod from Emma before she walked out. She found Jake peeking over at the kitchen. While she got dressed, Gia had asked Tensou to watch her burgers for her. The little robot agreed excitedly, happy to contribute to a part of date night.

"Yes," Jake said happily when he heard Gia step out. His eyes were still glued to the kitchen, "Burgers! My... whoa..."

Jake trailed off as his gaze shifted to Gia. He nearly dropped the flowers in his hands. He knew tonight would be special and had dressed for the occasion but he hadn't expected much from Gia. He knew she was most comfortable in her leather jacket or her father's jacket. To see her in a dress – a beautiful one at that – left him floored.

"Told you he'd like it," Emma whispered as she crept by Gia to join the others by the entrance. "Have fun tonight you two!"

"Not too much fun," Jordan said and pointed a playful glare at Jake. The green Ranger didn't even notice. His eyes were still fixed on Gia even after the others left. Gia blushed.

"You look good too."

Jake tugged on his collar and then remembered the roses he bought. He offered them to her. Gia smiled as she accepted them.

"Thanks," she said, and as Tensou rolled by he took them to put in a vase in her room. Then he left the two on their own for the night. While Jake was still getting used to seeing Gia in a dress, she walked to the stove and put the patties for herself and Jake on the buns and dressed them up. Then she took the fries from the oven and plated them with the burgers.

"I timed it," she said as she walked to the table. "It's ready for you now."

Jake shook his head to clear his thoughts and walked to the table. He took a seat as Gia served him. The burger smelled delicious, and he could tell by the slightly odd shape that these we're the burgers from the freezer. He opened the bun slightly to inspect and then looked across the table at his girlfriend.

"Homemade?"

"Yeah. All of it... well, not the buns," Gia said. "I'm not that good."

"You... you really went all out."

"It's a night for you," Gia nodded. "You've been so patient with me... it's the least I can do."

"The patience was worth it," Jake smiled. He picked up a fry and took a bite and his eyes widened. "Homemade fries too!"

"I told you it was all homemade," Gia chuckled. "Emma cut them up, but I supervised. Cutting's not easy with this."

Gia gestured to her sling. Jake smirked.

"It goes nicely with your dress."

"Shut up," Gia blushed and looked down at her plate. Jake smiled and picked up his burger. He knew all his toppings were already there so he eagerly took a big bite. He moaned contently as he chewed.

"Why the hell aren't you cooking more often?" he asked her. Gia shrugged her shoulders.

"Mom used to like baking with me. We did some cooking. I picked up a few tricks."

"This is more than a few tricks," Jake said and pointed to his burger. "This is literally the best thing I've ever eaten!"

"I made a second patty for you, in case you wanted seconds," Gia said and pointed to the stove. Jake smiled. He had only taken one bite of his burger but he already knew he was going to want seconds. The only thing bad about the burger was that Gia hadn't made enough of it for thirds and fourths.

"I love you," Jake said and took another big bite of her burger. Gia smiled as she watched him eat contently.

"I love you too, Jake."

-Megaforce-

As quietly as possible, the Rangers tried to make their way back inside the command center. They weren't sure how late Jake and Gia were going to have their date night, and they didn't want to interrupt anything. Carefully, Emma peeked around the corner to see what she and the others were walking into, but she couldn't see anyone.

"I think the coast is clear. They might have gone to bed."

"Yeah they did," Rebecca whispered and nudged Emma suggestively. Emma rolled her eyes.

"Gia said she wasn't ready. I'm sure they went to their own beds. Just be quiet, walk carefully. Don't wake them up."

Following the pink Ranger's orders, everyone tried to sneak their way to their own rooms. Jordan made a quick detour through the kitchen. He was hungry. Unfortunately, when he opened the fridge he found someone had packed the leftovers inside and they fell out when they no longer had the door holding them in. With a loud thump they hit the ground.

"Oh," Jake's voice said and the Rangers turned to see him looking over the back of the couch. It was facing away from all the others so they could only see the back of it, and not who was on it. "You guys are home. I thought the movie ended at ten?"

"It did," Noah smirked. "It's eleven now."

"Oh," Jake said. He looked down for a minute but then snapped his head back up. "Oh, I guess I... fell asleep."

"Fell asleep?" Troy asked. "Is your date night over?"

"Uh... yeah. Gia accidentally took the pain killers that make her sleepy so... we called it a night."

"And you decided to lie down on the couch instead in bed?" Rebecca asked.

"Without your shirt?" Jordan picked up Jake's shirt from the floor near the couch and raised his eyebrow.

"Um... I got ketchup on it."

"So you threw it on the floor?"

"I'm a slob."

"Yeah, that's true," Noah nodded his head. Jordan took a step forward to give Jake his shirt back. Jake shook his head.

"Uh, no! Don't... I'll pick it up."

"I'll just put it over the back of the couch..."

"No. Don't come closer! Just put it down."

"Whoa, okay," Jordan dropped the shirt. Jake realized his reaction was a little odd and knew he would have to explain himself.

"Sorry... sorry, I... I don't want to get ketchup on the couch."

"Whatever," Jordan dropped the shirt. He kissed Emma and then headed for his room. "I'm going to bed."

"I've got to put Ryan down," Troy agreed and rolled the stroller with the sleeping baby into his bedroom. "Have a goodnight, guys."

"I should probably get to bed too," Rebecca said. She gave Noah a kiss on the cheek before they parted ways. After that, Noah retreated to his bedroom. Jake was left staring at Emma.

"Are you going to bed?"

"Mhm," Emma nodded her head and made her way to her bedroom slowly, "Goodnight, Jake."

"Goodnight, Emma," Jake said and watched her move slowly to the bedroom. She was doing this on purpose, he knew it.

Then, just before Emma opened her bedroom door she called out, "I want details, Gia."

After that she walked into her room and shut the door. Jake's eyes widened and he looked down at Gia, who was underneath him on the couch. She made a face.

"How does she always know?"

"She's not going to give me shit for this tomorrow, is she?" Jake asked. Gia looked up sympathetically at him.

"I'm sorry."

Jake let out a sigh, but then shrugged his shoulders and leaned down for a kiss, "You know what, tonight's worth it."

Gia smiled as Jake kissed her and put her hand behind the back of his neck. As they kissed, she could feel Jake's arm moving up and down her leg, staying just below where her dress ended. Gently she pushed him up.

"Jake..."

"I'm sorry. Is this too much?" he asked. Gia shook her head. She then took his hand and placed it on her bum, under her dress. Jake looked at her for a minute. "Are you sure?"

"Baby steps," she nodded and then pulled him back down to continue their kiss.


	52. A Trip To The Zoo

_Disclaimer: Just putting this in because I had to do a bit of research for this chapter. The trivia I used for the animal facts come from various National Geographic web pages. It's a great site for quick facts and I know I learned a lot of interesting stuff._

"So? So?" Emma prodded Gia that morning in the bathroom. The night before Gia had her special date for Jake and as her best friend, Emma felt entitled to all the details. Gia smirked as she shrugged her shoulders and spit in the sink. She looked at her best friend in the mirror and continued to brush her teeth.

"What?"

"Oh, come on! Jake had no shirt last night. What happened? How do you feel? Give me something."

Gia spit into the sink again, "The date moved from the dinner table to the couch."

"Yeah. Go on."

"And that's it," Gia smirked. She rinsed off her toothbrush and then gargled with water. Emma crossed her arms over her chest.

"Jake was smiling from ear to ear at breakfast this morning," she said. "You didn't come to bed until really late. Did you...?"

"No."

"So then what? What happened?"

"Guess."

"Just tell me!" Emma cried and slapped Gia across the shoulder. The yellow Ranger whimpered.

"OW! Watch it!"

"Sorry. But you can't keep me guessing. Come on, Gia, I want to be happy for you. Just spit it out."

"He touched my butt."

"He... he did?" Emma asked and then smiled and bounced happily. "You were okay with that?"

"It was a little awkward at first," Gia nodded. "But Jake... I liked it. He's different."

"Different? Good different?"

"Of course," Gia smiled. "Any time Cliff would touch me or any of the guys at school would try to put their hands there I felt... dirty. With Jake it's... You're right. I trust him."

"So you weren't scared? He didn't try anything? You weren't scared he was going to try anything?"

"Nope. I told him it was still going to be baby steps but I really think I'm ready to give this thing the push it needs. I think I'm ready to stop holding back and just do what feels right."

"Really?"

"Yeah, real- Oomph!" Gia was caught off guard as Emma jumped into her arms for a tight hug. The yellow Ranger looked down at her best friend and put her arm around her, "Uh... Emma? Is everything okay?"

"You're... you."

"Who else would I be?"

"No one, it's just, you're really back. Like, really, actually back. Not just partially back."

"I haven't gone anywhere," Gia shook her head. "I've been in this bathroom with you. The whole time. The whole awkward time."

"I wanted details."

"You could have waited until after I peed!"

"I looked away."

Gia rolled her eyes and then smiled at Emma, "You didn't mean the bathroom, did you?"

Emma shook her head, "You were always here just... you'd never come out. It was... You were..."

"The walls."

"Yeah."

"They're gone, Em," Gia pulled her best friend in for another hug, "Thank you."

After a tight hug Gia moved away. She smiled, "Come on. Gosei said he had to talk to us. Let's go see what Gosei wants."

-Megaforce-

"Vacation!" Rebecca cried out as she walked past the turnstiles and got her hand stamped. "I love vacations!"

"A day at the zoo is hardly a vacation," Troy shook his head as he walked into the park. Rebecca turned around and glared at her brother.

"One: Gosei said he was giving everyone a day off to have fun. Two: Gosei said we don't have to worry because he cast some secret voodoo alien tiki-face magic over the city so no one recognizes us for today. Three: I love the zoo! You have lions, and tigers, and bears, and zebras!"

"Zebras?" Noah looked down at Rebecca curiously, "You're excited to see Zebras? Why?"

"They're unique," Rebecca said. "I called them tiger horses when I was little. Let's face it, that's what they are."

Gia smiled, "Speaking of tigers, why don't we start there?"

"The tigers are near the exit," Emma shook her head as she looked at the map of the zoo. "Sorry, Gia, you're going to have to wait."

"What's first?" Jordan asked. Emma looked to the map and then pointed to the first exhibit.

"Elephants," she led the way to the animal exhibit, the others followed her excitedly as they got to look up at the large elephants.

"You know," Noah stated as he watched one elephant walk by, "Elephants are actually very emotional animals. To comfort itself, a baby elephant often sucks on his trunk. Just like a baby sucks on her thumb."

"Elephants are cute," Rebecca smiled and watched two of the baby elephants play together. "I know they aren't cute and fuzzy, but there's something about them that still makes me want to take them home."

"They're really smart and social," Emma nodded as she took pictures. The zoo was one of her favourite places to visit, and when Gosei suggested they head there for the day she had been the first to agree. Harwood County had an amazing zoo, with plenty of large exhibits for all the animals, as well as plenty of programs to teach people facts about the wildlife and to raise money for conservation of animals and plant species all around the world. Emma often came to the zoo to do her own research.

After some time admiring the elephants, Troy suggested they move on. Ryan was getting a little bored in his arms just staring at the elephants and he thought a change of scene would keep her and his teammates entertained. He suggested the next closest exhibit.

"The mighty rhinos," he smiled as he pointed out the creatures to Ryan. "Look at that, Ry. Aren't they funny looking?"

"Careful, Troy," Rebecca said and tugged back on her brother's arm, "One's coming over."

"I read rhinos aren't actually as fierce as they seem," Noah assured her. "Mother rhinos are actually very attentive of their young, and teach them everything they need to know to go off on their own after a few years."

"Yeah, mothers protect their young," Rebecca said. "I don't want to see if they'll do the same for a human baby. Troy, don't put her too close."

"I'm watching her, Rebecca," Troy said. "I don't want to see her turned into rhino food either."

"Actually, rhinos are vegetarian. Besides, humans are not a natural food source for any animal. I doubt this big guy's looking to eat Ryan."

Emma snapped a picture of the rhino and then turned to the next exhibit, ready to move on. As soon as Noah saw what they were heading for he tried to blurt out a fact.

"Did you know, impalas..."

"Impalas can actually leap up to a distance of thirty-three feet," Gia interrupted him. Noah turned to her with a frown.

"I was going to say that."

"I saw you researching in the car," Gia smirked. "The good thing about having a best friend as a nature photographer and environmentalist is that I don't have to study for animal facts on the way to the zoo. I get them drilled in my head."

"I didn't study. I was interested in the animals we were going to see," Noah said. "I thought I'd share that information with all of you."

Noah turned to the rest of his friends and smiled, "Gia's right, they can jump pretty far. It helps them get away from predators, but some have been spotted leaping just for fun."

"I'd leap around all day if I could," Jordan said as he watched an antelope walk by. "It looks fun. And fast."

"Speaking of fast," Noah said as they moved on to the next exhibit, "The cheetah can run up to seventy miles per hour!"

"Everyone knew that," Gia rolled her eyes. "Do your research, Noah. Cheetahs are actually a separate genus from other big cats. Their genus name is _Acinonyx_ and they're the only member."

"I sense a fact war coming on," Emma whispered to Jake. The green Ranger sighed and nodded his head.

"Noah doesn't like to be outsmarted."

"Neither does Gia," Emma chuckled. "This should make for an interesting tour."

"Did you know," Noah stated as they moved on to another exhibit, "The Native Americans believed the Jaguars could protect them from evil and they were used a royal symbols because of their beauty and power."

"The phrase king of the jungle is actually a lie," Gia said at the next exhibit. "Lions live in grasslands and plains, not the jungle."

"After eating a sea lion or a seal, the great white shark can actually go a couple of months without another big meal."

"Vampire bats are so light that they can drink the blood of an animal for thirty minutes without waking it up."

"Wolves actually aren't as mean as fairy tales make them out to be. In North American there isn't a single death in humans caused by a healthy wolf."

"The leopard loves to climb and reside in trees. So much so, that it'll drag it's kill up into the branches to keep it away from scavengers."

"Male gorillas are called silverbacks because the hair on their backs turns from black to gray as they mature. The biggest and strongest mature male is often the leader of the group."

"A male emperor penguin stands for about sixty-five days in freezing Antarctic temperatures to keep its egg warm. And he goes that entire time without eating."

"Guys, guys, we get it," Jordan held up his hands as they finally reached their last exhibit of the day. "You're both really smart. Can you please just _shut up_!"

Gia and Noah looked to each other and agreed that they were done. Noah didn't want to admit that he didn't have any more fun facts to share while Gia wanted to be able to enjoy the tiger exhibit. She did like the zoo, but had been looking forward to seeing the tigers all day.

As they approached the tigers, though, they noticed there was a crowd of people. Curious, the Rangers squeezed their way to the front to see what was going on.

"That guy's crazy!" Jake called out when he saw one of the zookeepers standing inside the tiger's habitat – right next to one of the tigers. He was cleaning up the exhibit and doing so seemingly without a concern for the giant wild cat walking around next to him. "One step closer and he's cat food!"

"The tiger doesn't look ready to attack," Emma shook her head. "Actually, the tiger doesn't seem to mind his presence at all!"

"Maybe he's a vegetarian tiger?" Rebecca suggested, but kept a tight hold around Ryan, whom she had taken in her arms for the second half of the day.

"It's pretty cool how close this guy can get to the tigers," Gia said as she looked down at the exhibit with a smile. "I'd work here just to be near the tigers."

"You're insane," Jake shook his head and even Emma seemed to give her a look of utter disbelief. Emma was used to approaching wildlife, and had done so many times to get good pictures, but she could never imagine herself getting so up close to such a big, powerful, and wild animal. Her camera had a zoom on it for a reason.

"Why don't you come down?" the zookeeper suddenly looked up and asked. Gia noticed he was looking right at her.

"What? Me?"

"This one's real friendly," the zookeeper nodded and pointed to the tiger walking around him. "He'd love to say hello."

Gia hesitated for a moment but couldn't deny the voice inside of her telling her to go for it. She nodded and then started to walk over to the gate. Her friends watched with a horrible knot in their stomach.

"So much for Gia not being reckless and suicidal," Jake whispered to Emma. The pink Ranger was so worried something was going to happen she couldn't even bring herself to take pictures as her best friend approached the tiger.

"Let him get comfortable first," the zookeeper suggested. "Let him know you're friendly too. I promise, he won't bite."

Gia nodded her head and stood before the tiger, never flinching at it came closer. He reached out and sniffed her, putting his mouth so close to her that if he wanted he could bite into her with his long, sharp teeth. Or, he could pounce, and with his big, heavy paws he could knock her to the ground and rip her to shreds with his claws.

He could do that, but instead he leaned his head in closer and brushed it up against her side. Gia looked down as the massive tiger rubbed his face up against her gently. Gently, she placed her hand on his head and pet him.

"Look at that, he does like you," the zookeeper smiled and reached out to stroke behind the tiger's ears. He then looked up at the crowd, watching with concern and awe as he and Gia pet the tiger like it was nothing more than an overgrown domesticated cat. "Your friends look worried."

"Their faces kind of froze that way," Gia said and looked up at them with a smile to reassure them. "This is bound to be freaking them out."

"It shouldn't," the zookeeper told them. "You're safe in here. This tiger won't attack one of it's own."

Gia frowned at the comment and then looked back up at her friends. She didn't want to worry them for long, and though she thought it would be fun to play with the tiger, she had taken enough chances already.

"I should get back. Thanks, uh..."

"Casey," the zookeeper offered his hand. Gia shook it.

"Thanks, Casey," she said before she walked back to the gate. Her friends were there to greet her.

"Damn," Jordan snapped his fingers as Gia closed and locked the gate after stepping out. "Is it mean to say I was kind of hoping for that tiger to take you down?"

"Were you scared?" Noah asked her. "He could have taken you out in seconds if he wanted too."

"I... I wasn't scared," Gia shook her head and looked back inside the exhibit. "A little nervous, but never scared."

"That's because you have nerves of steel!" Rebecca said. "I knew you'd be okay."

"You asked if you'd be able to fit in Ryan's diapers," Troy chuckled. Rebecca frowned.

"No, I asked if we had any diapers in case she made another stinky," Rebecca said and looked to her sister, "Isn't that right?"

"Come on, guys. I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm about ready to call it a day," Jordan said. "Let's hit the gift shop and then go back home."

"Gift shop," Rebecca smirked. "You hear that, Ryan? If you make a cute enough face, Troy's going to have to buy us both gifts."

"You're only getting something if Ryan walks there," Troy said, still determined to see his youngest sister take her first unaided steps.

"What if she flies?" Rebecca asked and then held Ryan up in the air as she started to run to the gift shop. Troy's heart sunk as he watched, terrified Rebecca was going to either drop the baby or trip and they would both hit the ground. He chased after his two sisters, who both laughed as they tried to outrun them.

_Contest: The fact debate between Noah and Gia in the episode sparked the idea for this debate in this chapter. All the animals were chosen for a reason. The first part of the contest is to tell me that reason. The second part of the contest is to tell me which animal does not belong and tell me why I decided to add it. Anyone who can correctly guess both parts will get a deleted scene. If you can only guess one part, you will get a mention in the next chapter. Let's see how many of you know your facts. The contest is open to everyone until chapter 53 is posted with the names of the winners. Good luck!_


	53. A Tiger's Tale

_Author's Note: There was a slight hiccup in this contest. The clue I gave out to the lucky reviewers made it so there were two right answers, so here they both are:_

_First correct answer: The animals from the fact war are the spirits of the Jungle Fury Rangers and Masters*. The leopard is the one that doesn't belong because in the show there was no leopard spirit. However, I chose to add it as a subtle tribute to my Kaylee Series, where the main character Kaylee had and mastered the spirit of the Leopard._

_Second correct answer: The animals from the fact war are the spirits of the Jungle Fury Rangers and Masters*. The rhino could be considered the odd one out, even with the leopard (for Kaylee did master her spirit) because Dom never earned his master stripes._

_*The impala (a type of Antelope) is Master Lope. The (emperor) Penguin for Master Guin. The Gorilla as Master Rilla. Then you have Elephant, (vampire) bat, and (great white) shark for Masters Phant, Swoop, and Finn. Finally, the spirits of the Rangers and Jarrod: Tiger, Cheetah, Jaguar, Wolf, Rhino, and Lion._

_Anyone with either, or both, of those answers won the deleted scene. The answer had to be complete: why those animals, which animal doesn't belong and **why I chose the leopard**_._Many of the answers were given via PM. __Thanks everyone for playing!_

_The winners of the deleted scenes are: __**Darien Fawkes, **__**xXxKaraBeckerCutterxXx, **__**DeviousGryphon, thunderyoshi, Supersentairanger, KLR**_**, **_**Charlotte 'Charlie' Hartley and Devil Hunter 64**__. Leave a review when you're ready to receive your deleted scene._

_Honourable mentions for getting a part of the answer: Giraffelover5,__ Maeve111999,__ Earthbird, jg13145, El Cheque1, yellowinx65 Fallingstar22 and some anonymous reviewers guessed part of the answer correctly but left no name for a mention._

_I gave everyone a fair chance to win this contest. If there was any confusion I cleared up through PM messages and gave you all a chance to submit final answers right up until this chapter was posted, which I think is a fair way to rule. If you think you should have won but didn't, please send me a PM with justification and I'll review your answer and the contest rules again._

* * *

It had been about an hour since the zoo had closed its doors. All the guests had gone, leaving the zookeepers to give the animals their last feeding for the day, clean up the park and the exhibits and then they were home.

While many zookeepers liked to finish up as quickly as they could, one decided he liked to hang around after hours. He would always make sure the exhibit was tidy, the animals were all well looked after and that they would be okay until the next day. He didn't like to think maybe he had missed picking up some feces or that he hadn't caught a water bottle or napkin that some guests carelessly dropped into the exhibit. He didn't want the animals to be at risk of getting hurt because of humans' recklessness.

"Casey, are you done yet?" he heard her voice and smiled as he looked up. He saw Lily standing over the exhibit, holding the hand of their young daughter. Casey gave a little nod but continued to rake the exhibit.

Growing up, he had never imagined working in a zoo. As a boy he loved the zoo and he loved animals as much as the next guy, but walking around the cages of dangerous animals and picking up their poop was not the most appealing job. Fortunately he found himself at the Pai Zhuq, and after extensive training as a Ranger he earned himself the title of Master. With help from his teammates they defeated the threat of Dai Shi, and Casey took on the responsibilities of becoming the headmaster of the Pai Zhuq Academy. The other masters had all moved on to other things in their lives and had branched away from the Pai Zhuq. RJ had his pizza place, which he had since expanded to a second location in Ocean Bluff. Business was doing well and he was really happy working full time and occasionally dropping by the Academy to train or teach.

Dominic and Fran were travelling around the world. Fran had always loved the idea of visiting different countries and exploring new cultures. Before she met Dominic, the only new places she could visit were the ones in books. Now she got to live out those adventures. Dominique was only too happy to take her. He hated settling down in one place, and though he had made Ocean Bluff his permanent home, he was usually only for a couple of weeks every year and major holidays.

Theo spent some time around the Pai Zhuq, but even he had moved on. He had taken up classes at Ocean Bluff Community College to earn a degree in business. Working in Jungle Karma Pizza had inspired him to start up his own business. He wasn't sure what he wanted to do yet, though everyone teased him by suggesting he start a professional cleaning and organizing service, but his courses kept his very busy.

Lily – Casey saw her often. Unfortunately not as often as he liked. After their days as Rangers, Theo and Lily dated. It only lasted just over a year before the two of them realized it wasn't working out. Theo had gotten a little too wrapped up in his classes and Lily couldn't get past the idea of Theo being anything more than her best friend. Dating became difficult and a little awkward. Mutually, they decided to split and to this day were still the best of friends.

After the break up, with Theo spending a lot of time at school, Lily turned to the Pai Zhuq, and helped Casey with his classes. They grew even closer over the course of working together and after a couple of years together, they attended a party and had a little too much to drink. After that it was all a blur, as all of a sudden Lily was telling him she was pregnant. The months after that flew by as Casey and Lily had to make arrangements for their coming child. In that time, they started dating, and their relationship had lasted until after their daughter was born. However, they had broken up.

The Pai Zhuq offered Casey enough money to support himself, but with a baby on the way Casey needed other arrangements. He kept his job at the Pai Zhuq but had to cut down his hours. He shared the responsibilities as headmaster with Jarrod in order to have the time to work at the zoo and earn more money for his growing family. The zoo never would have been his first choice, but when he saw there was an opening for a zookeeper for the tigers, Casey knew he had to seize the job. Working with real tigers would help him bond a lot more with his tiger spirit and every day he got new ideas that would help shape, sharpen and perfect the tiger style for his students. On top of that, his tiger animal spirit made it so that he could understand the needs of the tigers in the zoo and how to care for them. His jobs complimented each other.

But they took up a lot of his time. Teaching at the Pai Zhuq meant he had to work every night to come up with new lessons and new strategies to help his student. It was hours of work at home and a lot of early mornings and late nights. His job at the zoo was the same. His connection to the tigers meant he couldn't just ignore them like some of the other zookeepers. While none of the animals were ever neglected at the zoo, as there was a zero tolerance policy that was strongly enforced, other zookeepers could get away with checking none of the animals were sick, dumping out their food, cleaning the cages and then leaving. Casey couldn't. He knew the tigers liked their food a certain way, they liked their exhibit cleaned a certain way and they liked to feel cared for. Every night he had to work hard to keep them happy, and it mean working late or getting to the zoo at very early hours in the morning.

With a newborn, that wasn't easy. Just to support his daughter, himself, and Lily, Casey needed to work all those hours. That left Lily at home alone with the baby. After a few weeks of Casey coming home late into the night and leaving early, Lily had gotten fed up. She walked out and moved back into RJ's loft over the JKP with their daughter.

Casey got to see Lily every Wednesday, Thursday, and every other weekend when she would either pick up or drop off his daughter. While they were no longer together, they were both still the little girl's parents and promised to share custody over her.

For Casey, that wasn't enough. Lily had gotten fed up with him and walked out, but he had since fallen more and more in love with her.

"Casey, you promised you'd pick Ava up at six. It's eight and I'm late for my shift!"

"I'm sorry," Casey called up. "There were a lot of people around today. I've just got a few more things to do..."

"How long is it going to take?"

"You can leave Ava here with me," Casey looked up. "It's just a half-hour."

"Can I come inside the tiger cage, daddy?" Ava asked as she looked through the bars and bounced excitedly.

"You know the way in, Kit-Kat," Casey nodded. Ava smiled, gave her mother a hug and then ran for the gate to the tiger's exhibit. Lily watched her daughter walk inside and then waved Casey up. She knew Ava would be fine with the tigers. Her little girl had inherited more than just Casey's eyes. Casey saw Lily waving him up and knew he shouldn't ignore her. He set his rake down and walked to the gate.

"Stay close to Kitty," Casey told his daughter and pointed to one tiger sitting by the pond. The tiger, Kitty as Ava called him, was Casey's animal spirit, and while it looked no different from the others in this form; it was just as much of a father to Ava as Casey himself. If any of the other tigers did suddenly decide to attack, his animal spirit would be able to protect her.

Casey stepped out of the exhibit and walked over to Lily.

"You're always late."

"I know. I'm sorry. It's just a lot of work..."

"I know that, Casey," Lily shook her head. "I work in a zoo too."

"JKP's not actually a zoo."

"Some of the people behave like animals," Lily rolled her eyes. "She's your daughter, Casey. These tigers can look after themselves at least for the nights you have her."

"I lost track of time. Besides, she loves coming here. She always has a good time with Kitty while I finish up."

"I'm not just talking about late nights at the zoo. When you're teaching, Casey..."

"My students are asking for my help. I'm their Master, Lil. I can't turn them down. And the longer I work, the more money..."

"Casey, it's not about the money!" Lily rolled her eyes. They had had this discussion before, and it seemed that after three years Casey still wasn't getting it. "Ava needs to be able to count on you. You're her daddy and you're never on time to pick her up!"

"This job pays for my apartment," Casey said. "For her bedroom, her toys, all her school supplies."

"I know, I know..."

"I don't work as much as before. You know that."

"Yeah, but..."

"I'm still figuring this out," Casey said. "But she knows I'm here for her. She knows she has two amazing parents. Next time I'm late to pick her up, just bring her by here. She can help me with the tigers. Look at how much she loves it."

Casey pointed into the exhibit but he couldn't see Ava. He looked around, but his daughter was nowhere to be found.

"Ava?"

"Ava!" Lily called and started to run to the gate. She trusted the tigers and Casey's animal spirit but at any moment something could happen. In spite of everything, the tigers were still wild cats and Ava was just a little girl.

"Tiger!" Casey called for his animal spirit but he couldn't feel it. He assumed that wherever Ava was, his tiger had gone with her. But because he could no longer feel his tiger, he had no idea where that was.

"Daddy!" Ava suddenly screamed from somewhere in the exhibit. Neither Casey nor Lily could see where beyond the foliage but followed the sound of her voice. By now, Lily had summoned her cheetah spirit, who was moving quickly ahead of them to see if it could catch up to Ava before anything happened. While in the wild cheetahs were generally no match for a tiger's size and strength, Lily's animal spirit could fight with the best of the tigers in this exhibit and had on several occasions, beaten Casey's tiger.

When the two former Rangers caught up to the cheetah they found it nursing Casey's tiger, who looked like he had taken a rather bad beating. Casey summoned him back to rest and had a look around. Something had to have happened. None of the tigers in this exhibit could beat his animal spirit.

"Ava!"

"Casey, where is she?" Lily turned to him worriedly. Casey shrugged his shoulders. He called for his daughter again. His only reply was silence and a sob escaping Lily's lips. He pulled her into his arms.

"We'll find her," he promised.


	54. The Tiger Spirit

"So?" Jake asked as he walked behind Gia and put his arms around her, "What are you going to call this one?"

Gia shrugged her shoulder and then despite being out in a public place she took the stuffed tiger in her arms and hugged it close to her chest.

The tiger had been her companion for a long time now. It started when she had been in the hospital after escaping Cliff. Jake had stopped by to check up on her and knowing she was lonely for most of the day he had bought her a stuffed tiger. He claimed that she was just like the tiger in the sense that they were beautiful and strong creatures. Jake had been the first boy to give her a gift with the intention of making her feel good about herself. Generally when boys offered her something it was to try and coax her into going out on a date, for her to become their girlfriend or for sex. Jake had given her the tiger because he knew it would make her happy.

She had cherished that tiger, and carried it with her all the time in her backpack. When she was upset or scared she would hug it close to her chest. But the original Tigger didn't last long. When Cliff's parents came back to avenge their son's death they had kidnapped Emma. To distract them and get her best friend to safety, Gia had to sacrifice Tigger.

To make up for it, as well as to make up for her reaction to Gia's tattoo, Vanessa had bought a new stuffed tiger for her daughter – Little Tigger, or LT as Gia called it. It quickly took on the same role as the original for Gia. She kept it close at all times and needed it for comfort when she was scared or hurt. When she moved to the command center, keeping it around was a way of keeping her mother around. But then Troy, Rebecca and Ryan lost their parents and their home in a missile attack set up by Vekar. Gia did what she could to help them but she knew they had lost so much. The more she looked at the little family of three, the more she felt she had to do. It especially broke her heart when she thought of little Ryan and how she would have to spend her entire life never knowing her parents. Ryan was just a baby and already had lost nearly everything good that the world had to offer.

So Gia once again sacrificed her stuffed tiger. Ryan needed a toy and she needed a comfort object more than Gia did. It had been hard, but seeing how much the little girl already loved the toy made the sacrifice worth it.

At the gift shop in the zoo there had been a collection of plush toys for sale. Gia had looked to the pile of tigers longingly. She wanted a new one but couldn't afford it. In order to help the Rangers, Tensou had set up a deposit system where Vanessa, Claire, or Dr. Oliver could give the Rangers a monthly allowance so they could buy food and other things to keep themselves healthy and amused during their time as a Ranger. Having to pretend they were dead meant the boys' families couldn't support them and it wasn't like the Rangers could apply for jobs to help themselves. Money was coming in, but it wasn't a grand amount and Gia had already spent most of hers for Jake's special date the night before. She barely had enough left to cover her share of the groceries for the rest of the month.

No one had enough. Emma didn't want to buy anything from the gift shop because she already had all her pictures to remind her of the day. When she saw Gia had been staring at the tigers she checked to see if she had enough to surprise her best friend with one. Unfortunately, Emma was also short. Splitting the checks when she went on dates with Jordan generally ate up the money she had left over after buying her share of the groceries.

Troy had been very grateful when Gia gave up LT for Ryan and when he saw Gia staring at the tigers he checked his wallet. He was short. Buying toys and food and formula for Ryan had nearly sucked him dry. He nudged Rebecca to see if together they had enough, but between her supporting Ryan, her share of the groceries, and her collection of Ranger toys, which included a set of the Jungle Fury Rangers that she just bought at the zoo, she only had a few dollars left.

Desperate times called for desperate measures. Jake had gone to Noah to see if he could borrow money from his best friend. Unfortunately Noah barely had any left after his own purchase of a zoo guide book. He had bought it to brush up on his animal facts to beat Gia next time they had a zoo themed fact-off.

So Emma pleaded Jordan for cash, but like her, he was short because of their dates. No one had enough to afford the tiger and yet they all knew how much it meant to Gia. They all had their own treasures from home or personal items that kept them from going completely mad during their time as a Ranger. For Troy it was his sister. Especially after the missile he couldn't imagine parting with either of them. Noah had his laptop. Whenever he would feel overwhelmed or just want to get away he would open up his laptop and get to work on something. Emma had her camera and her bike. She could always head down to the woods surrounding the command center and ride or snap pictures, depending on the day. Jake brought his soccer ball with him, and often he could convince the others to unwind and play a little game with him. Jordan had his art set. Rebecca had her collection of Ranger toys.

Fortunately, it dawned on Noah to put all their leftover money together. So, while Gia was distracted with changing Ryan's diaper in the washroom, the Rangers took one of the stuffed tigers to the cashier and all gave up their money to pay for it. They surprised Gia with it once they had left the zoo.

"You're not going to name it Little Little Tigger, are you?" Rebecca asked. "LLT doesn't exactly roll off the tongue, you know."

Gia shook her head. "I don't know."

"Name it Super Mega Tigger," Rebecca suggested.

"Because that's not stupid," Noah rolled his eyes. Rebecca shrugged her shoulders.

"Yeah, coming from the Super Mega Blue Ranger."

Noah realized what she meant and sighed.

"I don't know what I want to call it*," Gia chuckled and looked to each of her friends, "But I do love it. Thank you."

"It's the least we could do," Troy smiled.

"Just don't lose this one," Jordan said. "I've done enough nice things for you lately. I don't want you to start thinking we're friends."

"No danger there," Gia answered with a playful smirk. Jordan pretended to wipe his brow with relief.

-Megaforce-

"Our daughter is missing," Lily said as Casey dragged her across Harwood County into a local ice-cream shop in the mall. "What the hell are we getting ice-cream for?"

"We're not getting ice-cream," Casey groaned and hated having to explain this to her again. He knew Lily was worried. So was he. The only thought on his mind was getting his daughter home safe and sound, no matter the cost. "Ava wasn't in the exhibit and whatever took her is obviously strong."

"Casey, let's just go back home, tell the others..."

"Dom's in Asia. Theo's on a class trip," Casey shook his head. "I'm not going back just for RJ."

"The three of us can get her back. The two of us can do it."

"Lily, listen. We're in Harwood."

"Ocean Bluff is just twenty minutes..."

"Remember who is in Harwood, Lily? The Megaforce Rangers! Whoever took her gave my tiger spirit a good beating. We'll need help getting her back."

"Casey, the Megaforce Rangers..."

"You said RJ and Dr. Oliver keep in touch. Dr. Oliver knows who they are. If we find them they're going to help."

"You think they're hiding in the ice-cream shop?"

"We found our Pai Zhuq Master in a pizza parlour. Do you really think the local ice-cream shop is a strange place to find teenagers?" Casey asked her and then showed Lily a picture on his phone. He had gotten Dr. Oliver's number from RJ a long time ago, and since then he had kept up to date current teams. He had already met the Samurai Rangers and had trained them for a while when they needed his help. On his phone, he had a picture of the five Megaforce Rangers, which he had kept on hand since their first appearance just in case he needed their help or vice-versa. He wanted to be able to recognize them.

"And what makes you think they'll have time to help us? Don't you remember what our days were like when we were Rangers?" Lily asked. "Poor Fran still complains about all the times we had to bail on her. And I don't blame her!"

"I..."

"Casey, please. Ava's counting on us! This is one time you really, really can't be late for her."

"Lily, I'm not going to be late. I want to find her too," Casey put his hands on Lily's arms and offered her a reassuring smile. "The Megaforce Rangers will help us. They're ours and Ava's best chance."

"Casey, we need to be out there looking for her."

"We're doing what we can. And we just have to trust that our little girl can..."

"She's three! Someone took her and she's only three!"

"Lily, she's got the spirit of the tiger. She's strong. She'll be fine. We need help and the Megaforce Rangers are going to help. I know them. They're good kids."

"You... you know them?"

"They were at the zoo today," Casey nodded his head. "They visited my tigers. One of them even has the spirit of the tiger. They're all strong."

"You promise this will get her back?"

"You know I'll never let anything happen to that precious girl," Casey nodded his head. He took Lily's hand and walked with her into the shop. They found a man working behind the counter, cleaning up a few sundae cups. Casey let go of Lily's hand and approached the man. "Excuse me. Sir..."

"Ernie," the man stated. "What can I get you."

"Uh, Ernie. My name's Casey. I heard from a friend of a friend of mine that these kids often come by here. Do you know them?"

Casey showed Ernie the picture. Ernie nodded his head but seemed to put more focus on cleaning his dishes.

"I did."

"Did? Do you know where we can find them? It's really important."

"I'm sorry," Ernie shook his head. "You didn't hear?"

"Hear?"

"They're dead. They got caught up in an alien attack and... I attended their funerals. Well, all four."

"Four?"

"The boys and Troy's sister," Ernie said and pointed to Troy, Jake, and Noah in the picture. "They were good kids. Always so polite."

"Now that I think about it," Ernie said, "Gia and Emma never had funerals. Although, given all their families have been through this year, they may have just invited close family."

"Sir, they can't be dead," Casey shook his head. "I... I saw them..."

"Sometimes I think I see them too," Ernie stated. "It usually turns out to be someone who looks like them, or my eyes playing tricks on me. Business hasn't been the same without them and... They were really good kids. What happened to them just isn't fair."

Ernie then looked up, "I'm sorry. How did you know them again?"

Casey put his phone away and then sighed, "Nothing, never mind. I'm sorry to bother you."

He turned to Lily and shrugged his shoulders, assuming that this had been a dead end. He was about to leave when Ernie called him back.

"Wait!"

"What?"

"There is something," Ernie said. "One of the girls, Emma, had a boyfriend. He moved out of town in September but they made the long distance work. He came to town just after the kids all died. He comes by sometimes. He orders a bunch of sundaes, all their favourites."

"He does?"

"He says he takes it to their graves," Ernie nodded. "His girlfriend was an environmentalist. She wouldn't appreciate flowers. I doubt she'd be too happy knowing he's wasting all that food, but if that's what the poor boy needs to grieve then..."

"Who is he?"

"Jordan," Ernie took a piece of receipt paper and wrote down a number. "If there's anything you wanted to know about them, he's likely your best bet. The girls' mothers I heard moved out, Troy's parents were killed recently in another alien attack, and well, I never really met any of the parents much. I wouldn't know how to reach Jake's and Noah's. Jordan's all I've got."

"Thank you," Casey was about to take the phone number but Ernie held back. He shook his head.

"This poor boy's lost his girlfriend and five of his closest friends in a single attack," Ernie said. "Every time he comes in here he's heartbroken. I care for these kids a lot. You upset or harass him and I will give your description to the police."

"I understand," Casey nodded and politely accepted the number. "Thank you, Ernie. You're a big help."

Casey put the number in his pocket, took Lily by the arm and walked out with her. When they were at the end of the sidewalk he took the number out.

"You got it?" Lily asked as Casey pulled out his phone and started to dial.

"Close enough," Casey said. "Ernie swears they're dead, but they were at the zoo today. I know it."

"What does close enough mean?"

"He gave me Emma's boyfriend's number. He might know something."

"Emma's boyfriend? What's to say he even knows they're Rangers?"

"Fran found out," Casey said. "Besides, it's worth a... Hello? Hi, Jordan? This is Casey Rhodes. I'm really sorry to bother you but I've been trying to get in touch with your girlfriend. Could you please..."

"I don't know how you got this number, but please don't call me again. I don't have a girlfriend," the voice on the other end stated before the call was ended abruptly. Casey looked to his phone and then to Lily.

"Can we please just go get RJ?"

"Lily, please, just trusts me."

"Casey..."

"You know I love her," Casey said. "I really think this is our best chance."

Casey offered the paper with Jordan's number to Lily, "You call. Women don't sound as intimidating and you're... well, Lily."

"You mean nice," Lily crossed her arms over her chest. Casey shrugged his shoulders.

"To a fault. He might listen to you. I saw the Rangers. They're alive. We just need to reach them. This Jordan kid might be our best bet."

Lily sighed. She took the paper and then took out her phone.

* * *

*Any ideas for the name?


	55. Jungle Fury Rangers

For the second time that evening, Jordan's phone rang. Aside from the occasional call from his parents, Jordan never heard his phone ring. He wanted to ignore it. The first call of the evening had left him with an ill feeling, but something enticed him to answer it. As he lay in bed with Emma he whispered for her to be quiet and put the phone on speaker. If whoever was on the other line was bad news, he wanted her to know about it. He wasn't too much of a man to admit he needed his fiancée's protection.

"Hello?"

"Jordan?" it was a woman's voice this time.

"This is he," Jordan answered. Emma looked up at him with a frown but dared not speak. She was dead to the world. Only a handful of people knew she was still alive, and all but three of those people were with her in the command center.

"I'm Lily Chilman," the voice said. "Look, I know this might sound crazy. Trust me, if I were you I probably wouldn't believe it myself but we need your help."

"Who is this?" Jordan asked. He had a name, but he didn't know anyone by the name of Lily Chilman.

"I'm Lily. I'm a waitress I guess at Jungle Karma Pizza."

"You guess?"

"Look, my job's not important," Lily said. "My daughter's missing."

"What am I supposed to do about that?" Jordan asked. He felt like an ass. He was good friends with the Power Rangers and wanted to be a police officer. A missing girl concerned him but he wasn't going to let himself be fooled. The last person to get a call from outside had been Gia, and her arm was still in a sling for falling for it.

"She went missing today at the zoo," Lily explained. "I was dropping her off with her father just a couple of hours ago when she disappeared."

"The zoo's been closed for longer than that," Jordan shook his head. "Look, I'm sorry, but I don't know what I can do..."

"She was lost in the tiger's cage. Jordan, please. Her father says he saw your girlfriend at the zoo and he needs her help. Her and the rest of your friends."

"My friends are dead."

"He says he saw them. He knows it was them."

Emma covered the mouth piece, "Gosei assured us no one would recognize us," she whispered. "He's not exactly the first guy I'd turn to with a secret, but he wouldn't lie about that. How could this guy remember seeing us?"

Jordan shrugged. "Look, Lady, I don't know who you are but you're kind of freaking me out..."

"Please! Please, Jordan, don't hang up! I get this might be upsetting to you but if you know anything about where your friends might be..."

"I told you, my friends are dead," Jordan grumbled. "Please don't call again."

"Jordan, they aren't dead. Please. My little girl's only three and the tigers didn't get her. Something else did. We think it was an alien, like the ones that killed your friend."

"I'm hanging up."

"No! Please, Jordan. I'm begging you. Please, you're the only one who can save her."

"I can't take this," Emma shook her head as the woman's cries tugged on her heartstrings. She grabbed the phone from her fiancé's hands, "Hello?"

"Hello? Who is this?"

"Jordan's friend. Where do you want to meet?"

"The zoo. Meet us right outside the zoo," Lily answered. "Please, we'll explain everything to Jordan when he's here."

"We won't be long," Emma promised and then hung up the phone. Jordan looked to her.

"Emma, this could be a trap. Remember your idiot best friend?"

"She's talking about a kid."

"What does anything think I can do about that?" Jordan asked. "Emma, I want to help, but the people coming after us are going to do exactly this to draw us out."

"We're not going in alone," Emma threw away the blankets, "Come on, let's get the others."

-Megaforce-

Casey waited with Lily just outside the zoo for Jordan and his friend to show up. The former yellow Ranger had been convincing enough to get them to consider helping and Casey knew that if there was any chance of getting his daughter home safe this was it. He couldn't blow it. Like Lily kept repeating – this was not the time to let his daughter down.

Not that he ever did. He was often home late and out the door early in the morning, but he always made time for his daughter. He wouldn't work the weekends he had her and would often just be late picking her up from JKP, like this very time. His job was demanding but he never let it get in the way of being a good father. His little girl adored him and always looked forward to weekends with him. However, he knew it was frustrating for Lily to have to wait for him all the time, and explain to Ava that daddy wasn't forgetting about her. Casey was trying to work on being more punctual after work, but no matter how much he tried, he couldn't seem to keep his eyes on the clock. And he couldn't dream of cutting work early. His students needed him. The tigers needed him, and his daughter needed him to work entire days so that when she came to visit, she didn't sleep in a cardboard box on the side of the street.

It was getting late. The sun was already close to setting and it was getting to be quite dark. The zoo kept very few lights on at night so as not to disturb the animals. But finally, Casey saw several figures walking up and assumed one of them had to be Jordan. As they got closer, he recognized them as the Megaforce Rangers, and the one boy he didn't have a picture of he assumed had to be Jordan. Considering they were alive, contrary to popular belief, Casey and Lily both assumed Jordan knew their secret and decided to introduce themselves as who they really were.

"We weren't sure you were going to show," Casey offered his hand. "I'm Casey Rhodes. This is my teammate Lily."

"Whoa, teammate?" Gia asked. A recent self-demotion on Troy's part made her leader, and as leader, as soon as she heard about the phone calls to Jordan she knew she had to step up at this meeting. "You zookeepers call each other teammates?"

"I'm not just a zookeeper," Casey smirked and he could once again sense the tiger spirit coming from the yellow Ranger. "I'm a Pai Zhuq Master."

"I could use some pie right now," Jake whispered to Noah. The blue Ranger ignored his best friend and stepped forward.

"Wait? Pai Zhuq? As in the Order of the Claw? The Jungle Fury Rangers?" he turned to glance momentarily at Gia, "Bet you didn't know that."

Gia shook her head. She looked to Casey and Lily, "If you're really Power Rangers..."

"We are," Casey and Lily held out the Solar Morphers and then showed the Rangers their Master Stripes.

"Look, we'd love to explain this," Lily stated, "But the story about our daughter is true. She was playing with the tigers when all of a sudden she wasn't there."

"My tiger animal spirit was supposed to keep her safe," Casey said. "None of the other tigers dare to approach her when he's watching her, but something got by him. Something strong."

"It had to be," Lily nodded. "We think it's one of those aliens. Dai Shi and his monsters were defeated a long time ago."

"Dai Shi?" Emma asked.

"Their Vekar," Noah answered her. "The Jungle Fury Rangers fought in Ocean Bluff against Dai Shi and his forces back in 2008. They used animal spirits and different kung fu styles to beat their opponents. I've got to say, animal spirits are pretty amazing."

"Why would Vekar want your daughter?" Gia asked. "He's all about conquering the Earth. A little kid... how that's going to help him?"

"Remember, Gia, Vrak went after Quinn," Jake pointed out. "He wanted to use her powers for himself. Vekar did just kidnap Lauren for her powers. Maybe he saw the kid and decided to try again."

"Does your daughter have powers?" Gia asked Casey and Lily. Casey nodded his head.

"She took after me with the Tiger Spirit. She's still young. She's barely tapped into her powers yet, but when she's really scared she can call it."

"I guess that's what Vekar wants then," Gia stated. She looked to her teammates for confirmation and then nodded to Casey and Lily. "We can go back to the command center. We got on board Vekar's ship once. If your daughter is up there, we'll do it again."


	56. Tiger To Tiger

Casey walked into the Megaforce Command Center. He held Lily's hand as he walked to keep her close. Despite the strain that parenting had put on their relationship they were still close friends and often in times of need they would turn to each other. With their daughter missing, no one understood their pain more than the other and so they needed to stick together.

"Alright, so we know the odds are pretty good Prince Vekar has your daughter," Gia stated to the Jungle Fury Rangers as Noah walked to the consoles to start the scans, "But we don't want to jump on board the Armada Flagship again without knowing for sure your daughter is there. We're just asking for a little time.

"Do what you have to to find her," Casey nodded his head and then walked to the couch with Lily to take a seat.

Rebecca, seeing the Rangers were back, put Ryan in Troy's arms and walked over to Noah. She was curious about what was going on.

"So?" she asked and Noah looked to her briefly.

"They're Casey and Lily from the Jungle Fury team," Noah stated and then pointed to the box of Jungle Fury figures Rebecca had bought from the zoo. "Red and Yellow."

"Are you serious?" Rebecca grinned from ear to ear as she looked to her guests. Noah nodded his head.

"Don't get too excited, Becca. We're trying to help them find their daughter. We think Vekar may have something to do with this."

"Their daughter?" Rebecca asked with a frown. "What does Vekar want with a little girl? I mean, I'm assuming she's little..."

"She's three."

"Three?" Rebecca said and then looked sadly over to the Jungle Rangers. "That doesn't make any sense. Or... maybe it does. Ally beat up Vekar, right? Maybe he's decided to pick on people his own skill level."

"The Jungle Fury Rangers are Pai Zhuq Masters."

"What's that?"

"Animal Spirits."

"Why didn't you just say that?"

Noah chuckled. "Pai Zhuq is the name of the academy," he pointed to his laptop, which Rebecca brought over and opened up. As his console ran a scan for Ava he brought up the page of the Jungle Fury Rangers from the Power Ranger database that Gosei had given him access to. Rebecca glanced it over quickly and then smiled.

"Do you think after we find their daughter they'll tell us our animal spirits?" she asked. "I always thought I'd be something cool like a lion or a leopard or..."

"A zebra?" Noah chuckled as he remembered that at the zoo she had been excited to see the zebras.

"Yeah! A zebra would be kick ass!" Rebecca smiled and nodded her head excitedly.

"Kicking is about all a zebra would be able to do," Noah said. Rebecca stuck out her tongue at him and then continued to look at the page on the Jungle Fury Rangers.

Meanwhile, over on the couch, Casey held Lily's hand as he watched the Megaforce Rangers prepare for the rescue mission. While Noah, the blue Ranger, worked on finding Ava's exact location so they wouldn't be running into any unnecessary trouble, the other Rangers were gathered around Gia, the yellow Ranger and the one Casey had already identified as having the spirit of the tiger.

Years of training at the Pai Zhuq and working with students of all different levels had taught Casey how to identify different animal spirits. He had learned that the more in tune someone was with their spirit, the better he could sense it and the easier time he would have aiding them in bringing it out. Of all the Megaforce Rangers he could tell Gia was the closest to calling forth her animal spirit. However, the others weren't far behind, and if they could bring him his daughter back, he wanted to show them exactly what they were capable of.

But for now, he had a mission to focus on. The others were gathered around Gia because she had her arm in a sling and a bandage covering her shoulder. She was clearly injured and Casey had seen that at the zoo when he invited her into the tiger exhibit. He had suffered enough shoulder injuries to know they could be debilitating. If Gia was going to battle, she was going to need a new way to fight.

"I'm going to talk to them," he told Lily and squeezed her hand gently before he got up. Lily nodded her head and let him go. She watched him butt into the conversation the Rangers were having and then he pulled Gia aside.

"Are you going to be okay?" Casey asked Gia once they were alone in a corner. He pointed to her shoulder. Gia looked down and then nodded her head.

"Yeah. It's not my first rodeo. The others and I were just discussing how they would keep Vekar and his army off my back while I get your daughter on the Sky Ship. Once she's there, get the hell out of Dodge. It's the same plan we used to rescue the red Samurai Ranger."

"You think Vekar's going to fall for the same plan twice?"

"He ran off screaming when Ally threw a punch," Gia said.

"Who is Ally?"

Gia pointed to Rebecca, "You see the girl next to Noah?"

"The one looking us up on the computer?"

"Yeah. You see how she's practicing... what is that?"

"It looks like the tiger style," Casey said. "Rookie tiger."

"Yeah. Ally's pretty much her equivalent, and if Vekar can't handle that, I should be fine."

"Underestimating your opponent is a bad move," Casey shook his head. "Even if the others can leave you alone to face Vekar, who's to say this time he's going to run."

"Like I said, this isn't my first rodeo. I'm one arm down, but that still leaves me with one."

"Still, we don't want to risk it," Casey said. "You know, I pulled you into the tiger exhibit earlier for a reason."

"You heard me saying how much I liked them," Gia nodded. "You know, most zookeepers just kind of give a little known fact about the animals and continue doing their job."

"Most zookeepers also don't realize they feel a connection to their animals for a reason," Casey stated. "I'm a tiger master. That tiger I let you pet, he was my animal spirit."

"So you just summon your animal spirit for everyone to see?"

"The tiger likes to be with his own kind," Casey nodded.

"Tigers aren't exactly pack animals, you know," Gia told him. "They aren't total loners, but they aren't living off in prides like lions."

"You know a lot about tigers."

"It's kind of my spirit animal," Gia said just teasingly to Casey but when she saw him cock an eyebrow she frowned. "Wait, are you... you know I'm kidding, right? I mean, animal spirits and stuff are cool but..."

"Everyone has one."

"After years of training, right?"

"From birth," Casey said. "Most are just ignorant. You're not."

"Look, Gosei just assigned me the tiger Zord and the others and I kind of just ran with it. I mean, I guess they're my favourite animals by far but..."

"You have the tiger spirit," Casey smiled to her. "It's why I invited you to meet the tigers. Believe it or not, you're very much in tune with your tiger spirit."

"You're being serious right now?" Gia asked and then glanced over her shoulder at the other Rangers. "What about them?"

"I'm not sure yet. I have an idea. Maybe I'll get a better picture once we train a bit. But you're ready."

"I'm ready? For what?"

"If you run into trouble," Casey said, "Trust your instincts. Reach out to your tiger and she'll help you."

"You've gendered my tiger?"

"Let the tiger know you trust and respect it, and she'll pay you back with strength and protection."

"Wait, you're just going to tell me what to do? What about training me? Teaching me how to unleash it or even just how to use it. Is it really safe unleashing a wild freaking tiger?"

"We'll see," Casey said. "But I trust you. We tigers have to stick together. Please do everything to bring my daughter home. She's just a cub."

"Alright," Gia nodded her head, "We'll see how this goes."


	57. Strength of the Tiger

It seemed Vekar had learned his lesson this time. Just before Noah could get a reading from Ava up on the Armada Flagship the alarm went off to indicate that there was a monster in the city. The Rangers' heads all snapped up as they rushed over to the consoles to see what was going on. The monster, who seemed to have two enormous hands for shoulders, walked through a neighbourhood, terrorizing those who were unlucky enough to fall behind in the rush to evacuate. On the rooftop of one of the homes stood Vekar.

He seemed to be avoiding the fight by remaining up high, but the Rangers had no plans to avoid him, especially when they saw a little girl standing just in front of him. Vekar had his hands on her shoulders and seemed to be holding her still. She did not look happy at all to be near him but was too scared to move.

"Ava!" Lily cried as she recognized her daughter. "That son of a bitch!"

"It doesn't look like he's hurt her," Casey reassured her. "We'll get her back and it'll be like nothing ever happened."

"I don't know," Rebecca said as she watched the monster threw a punch in the air and then several feet away a car was thrown from the streets and through the wall of a home. "Something about him seems different."

"Different how?" Noah asked. Rebecca just looked again as the monster kicked the air and suddenly a few feet away a fire hydrant blew up and a jet of water blasted up to quickly soak the street.

"Just... be careful," Rebecca looked up at Noah with an uneasy smile. He gave her a nod and then followed the others out of the command center.

When the Megaforce and Jungle Fury Rangers arrived in the city, the monster and the X-Borgs immediately turned to them.

"I knew you'd show," Pacha Chamax said. "Let's see if you Rangers really are as tough as you say you are! X-Borgs!"

"You guys handle these freaks," Gia told her teammates as she turned and set her sights on Vekar. She hoped that this would be a repeat of when Ally rescued Lauren but she clutched her sword in her arm tightly just in case. Her injured arm meant she could only carry one weapon at a time, and given the option between her sword and blaster she preferred the sword. Ava was too close to Vekar that if she tried to shot him she risked hurting the little girl.

"There's so many of these things!" Lily called out as she quickly found herself swarmed with X-Borgs. They were slightly stronger than Rinshi but not by much. They were easily this team's equivalent, but it seemed Prince Vekar and his monsters didn't like to hold back. She remembered facing a small group of Rinshi, and the first round generally felt like a warm up to get her blood pumping before she faced the real threat. These X-Borgs didn't look like they were ready to give up anytime soon.

"Our big bads like to hide," Troy told her. "They send in as many X-Borgs as they can to try and wear us down. They never learn that it doesn't work!"

Troy slashed down the X-Borg coming right at him and then with his blaster he shot several others that had him surrounded.

Jake cut through his small group of X-Borgs and then saw he had a clear path straight to the monster. In the corner of his eye he saw Emma had also made it through the X-Borgs and with a quick nod they agreed to take on the monster together. They rushed towards him with their weapons but before they could reach him he held out his hands. Jake and Emma felt something pulling them forward and had to stop to fight it.

"How is he doing this?" Jake shouted as he tried to resist being pulled into the monster. As his feet slid along the pavement he saw the others were also struggling against the pull. However, as he glanced around he noticed they weren't being pulled in.

"It's our weapons!" Emma called out as the same realization hit her. Her sword and blaster slipped out of her hands and hit the monster's body, as though stuck to him by an invisible force. All the Rangers were left without weapons.

"I guess we're doing this old school," Troy announced as he adopted a stance. Noah felt a little uneasy. He had always fought with a weapon in his hand, but he knew he had trained for this. Following Troy's lead against the X-Borgs, he moved quickly to finish them off. Casey and Lily seemed to have no problem fighting hand to hand.

Jake and Emma knew they were lacking now without their weapons but didn't let that get to them. They rushed at the monster, ready to fight him unarmed but the monster was too fast. Before they could even reach him he threw a punch that somehow struck them down without him even touching them. They were thrown to the ground a little ways off and then when they tried to get back up to their feet Pacha Chamax kicked the air. Just like with the punch, without him actually making contact he managed to send them flying backwards and into the ground. They powered down from Super to Megaforce Rangers and lay on the pavement to rest while Troy and Noah tried their hand.

"This stops now!" Troy stated as he and Noah tried to go in for the attack but just like Jake and Emma they were quickly defeated. Pacha Chamax didn't even need to touch them for his attacks to connect and neither of the boys could find a way to get close. When Noah powered down into his Megaforce costume he summoned his Shark Bowgun. But before he could fire it, it was ripped from his hands by an invisible force.

"How is he doing this?" he called out. He didn't get an answer for the others. He wasn't expecting one. He would have to go back to the command center and analyze the battle before he could really know what had happened. But as he lay on the ground and pondered what he could try next he saw a bright red and a bright yellow light jump over him and his friends and reach the alien. When he got a closer look he noticed the lights were in the shape of a tiger and a cheetah respectively. He glanced over his shoulder and saw Casey and Lily had joined in the fight with the monster, and they seemed to be the only ones who could do him harm.

"AH! What the hell?" Pacha Chamax cried out as the two big cats came after him. He tried to throw a punch but his attack didn't seem to do much to the angry animals. "Get away! Get away!"

He jumped up on the roof of a home and looked down at the cats that stayed on the ground. With a huff he turned to the Rangers.

"This isn't over yet!" he called out before vanishing.

Meanwhile, on another rooftop, Gia found herself face to face with Vekar. While the others battled on the ground, her only concern was grabbing Ava and disappearing. Even if her teammates couldn't beat the monster before she called them to retreat, as long as they could get Ava home nothing else mattered. With her sword in hand she glared through her helmet at Vekar.

"Why don't you save yourself the humiliation and just hand over the kid," Gia stated and felt a little more confident that Vekar didn't have it in him to fight when he positioned himself behind the little girl – as though he wanted her to protect him. "No one wants to see you run home crying too mommy."

"It's easy to mock others when you have no idea the pain they suffered," Vekar scoffed and pointed to his cheek, "Do you see this bruise! Look at it!"

"Uh... I just see a whole lot of ugly," Gia shook her head. "Nothing out of the ordinary."

"You will pay for the pain your friend caused me..."

"There's not even a freaking bruise!" Gia rolled her eyes. "Why don't you get shot in the shoulder and maybe then I'll take your crying seriously!"

"Your friend almost disfigured my precious face!"

"I'll show you what disfigured really means," Gia said. She gripped her sword tightly in her hand and rushed at Vekar. She had to hold back slightly when she saw him put his hands under the girl's arms and then she skid to a stop when he lifted the girl up and used her as a shield. The little girl screamed as the yellow Ranger came at her and as she tried to protect herself Gia noticed her body beginning to glow. Before she could think about what was coming next something powerful struck her in the chest. Gia was sent flying over to the neighbour's rooftop.

Prince Vekar looked to the little girl with a smile. With her he could keep the Rangers at bay. He set her back down on her feet and yelled at her to stay in front of him as he held out his hands. Gia got to her knees, saw Vekar switch the offensive and knew she had to be in trouble. Though he was whiny and cowardly in battle, Gia assumed he had to have earned the title of Prince somehow, and there was a reason he had an army of aliens following his every command. She saw a wave of energy come towards her and knew she could do nothing but brace for the attack and hoped it didn't hurt her too badly.

"No!" Ava shouted when she saw the yellow Ranger. She had panicked when the Ranger attacked, but that was only because she didn't want to get hurt. She knew the Power Rangers were the good guys. Her parents would always tell her stories about them and their adventures. She had always been told that the Power Rangers would protect her. She didn't want to see Vekar, the scary, bad guy alien who had taken her away from her parents attack the yellow Ranger. She wanted the Power Rangers to win and save her.

As Gia braced for impact she heard the little girl's scream and something inside of her snapped. Despite most people seeing her as cold and distant – two traits that normally weren't child-friendly, Gia had a place in her heart for kids. They were vulnerable and full of life and promise. After everything she had seen she didn't want to see a child get her. She didn't want anyone to suffer like she had. Hearing Ava's scream brought out her protective side that made her want to fight harder to protect the little girl.

But there was something else in the scream. Ava was a tiger spirit just like Casey and apparently just like herself. When Ava cried out, Gia could feel something new building up inside of her. It was a new energy that felt fiercely protective of the young girl – almost like Ava was her own.

"_Trust your instincts. Reach out to your tiger and she'll help you. Let the tiger know you trust and respect it, and she'll pay you back with strength and protection."_

Feeling that power and remembering Casey's words, Gia let herself go. Just before Vekar's attack hit her a yellow tiger spirit burst out from her chest. It took part of the attack, softening the powerful blow for Gia before it charged Vekar. The alien Prince's jaw dropped as he saw a large beast coming for him. He grabbed Ava in his arms and used her as a shield.

However, it had no effect. With a huge, powerful paw and sharp claws the tiger swat Vekar down. He dropped the girl, who was caught by the back of her pants in the tiger's mouth and Vekar tumbled from the rooftop. When he found his bearings he looked to his arm, where the tiger struck, and saw blood pouring out of three wounds.

"This... this isn't fair!" he shouted and stomped his feet as another tantrum came on. The other Rangers, who at this time had just forced Pacha Chamax to retreat turn to watch the odd sight of the big bad behaving like an undisciplined child. "I had a good plan! I stole that child fair and square and she's mine and you can't have her! Give her back!"

Gia rose her feet and looked down from the rooftop at Vekar as he shouted at her. She had heard of his tantrum from Ally but now that she got to see it firsthand she knew her friend hadn't been exaggerating. He really was a child.

"No," was her simple answer. Vekar continued to stomp his feet.

"Yes! Yes! Yes!"

"No." Gia answered him again and crossed her arms over her chest. Vekar glared up at her angrily and then let out a cry before he vanished.

The tiger on the rooftop saw the danger had passed and gently lowered the little girl back to her feet. Ava turned to the tiger with a big smile and then wrapped her arms around its neck.

"Thank you, kitty!"

"Ava!" she heard her name being called by a familiar voice and turned around. She saw the Power Rangers and her parents standing on the ground.

"Mommy! Daddy!"

She ran for the edge of the rooftop but before she could fall off the tiger grabbed the back of her shirt in its mouth. Gia rushed over and as she grabbed the girl's arm the tiger vanished.

"Let's go see your parents," Gia said. She knelt down and Ava wrapped her arms around her neck. Gia put her arm around the little girl and then jumped from the rooftop. She hit the ground and as soon as she set Ava down the girl took off to her parents.

"Did you see that? Did you see the tiger!" Ava cried out happily as she jumped into her mother's arms. "She saved me!"

"Are you okay?" Casey and Lily tried to ask her but Ava wouldn't give them an answer. She turned to her father.

"Daddy! Daddy! Did you see the tiger! It was a tiger!"

"I saw the tiger," Casey nodded. "Ava, did the monster hurt you?"

"No! Daddy, the tiger saved me! It was a big tiger, just like yours!"

"Yes, I know, I saw..."

"Mommy, did you see the big tiger? Did you see how it saved me?"

Lily nodded and hugged her daughter to her chest, "I did, kitten."

As Casey and Lily were reacquainted with their daughter, the Megaforce Rangers walked up to Gia. She looked to them and then around the neighbourhood.

"How was the alien?"

"He got away," Troy answered. "He took away our weapons."

"He did? How?"

"I'll have a look at the footage when we're home," Noah said. "But I'm sure when he comes back he's going to do it again. We need to find a way to beat him without weapons."

"You mean unarmed?" Jake asked and then gently nudged Gia in the side, "Hey, you should be good at that. Get it? Because you're... oh come on, guys! That's funny?"

"You understand you're making a joke about how Gia was _shot_ with a _bullet_ by a _gun_ in the shoulder by my own father, right?" Emma asked the green Ranger.

"Come on, guys, lighten up. Gia, it was a little funny, right?"

"Yeah," Gia nodded her head, "Litter box funny."

"Guys, come on, we need to focus," Troy said. "That monster got away and Noah's right, when he comes back he's going to try and take our weapons from us. If we don't let go..."

"Don't let go?" Noah frowned. "That's your grand plan? I held on as tight as I could. That monster's pull was strong!"

"We can't let him take our weapons again," Troy said. At that moment, Casey and Lily, with Ava in their arms, joined in their conversation.

"We can help," Casey offered. "It's the least we can do."

"Help out how?"

"Your animal spirits," Lily suggested. "That monster's moves had no effect on the tiger and the cheetah. He had no idea what to do. We can teach you to unleash your animal spirits."

"Our animal spirits? That... that sounds really cool!" Jake smiled. "I hope I have something wicked!"

"That monster might be back soon," Troy said. "Can you really teach us to summon our animal spirits in such a short amount of time?"

"Enough to get the job done at least. How soon you can unleash your animal spirit depends on the connection you have with it."

"I say we give it a shot," Emma offered. "It's got to be better than getting our asses kicked by that monster again. Plus, it should be pretty cool figuring out our animal spirits."


	58. The Animals Spirits

His daughter sat on her mother's lap, safe, healthy, and unharmed after what had been easily the scariest hours of his lip. Even facing against the evil Dai Shi in a battle that would determine the fate of the Pai Zhuq Academy as well as the world hadn't terrified him as much as the hours where he had lost his daughter.

With the help of the Megaforce Rangers, that was in the past. Ava was wrapped up safely in her mother's arms, licking a popsicle that the Rangers had pulled out from their freezer to comfort her after the kidnapping, though she didn't seem to need it. She had Casey's tiger spirit and his strength, but what he really loved most about his daughter was her eternal optimism, and her ability to always somehow know that there was something good waiting just around the corner, no matter how bleak things looked. It was one of the many traits she shared with her mother.

To thank the Rangers for their help, Casey and Lily had promised to train them to tap into their animal spirits. The most recent monster they had faced seemed to be vulnerable to them, and training the current team in a new style would benefit them down the road. Over the years, being a Pai Zhuq master, a zookeeper and a father had taught Casey that there was always a benefit to learning something new.

So he took the Rangers to their training grounds outside the command center. After watching them battle and spending a few hours with them he had a pretty good idea of what most of their spirit animals were. He just needed to help them focus on unleashing that power. For now he had them on the ground meditating.

"Honing your animal spirit is a lot like making a friend," Casey explained to the teens as he walked around them. All five Rangers, as well as Jordan and Rebecca had opted into the exercise. Each was excited to find out their animal spirit and to learn a new way to defend themselves and fight. It was likely going to be a very interesting activity. "The more effort you put into the relationship, the more you're going to get out of it. You'll need practice, patience, compassion, and a whole lot of determination in order to master those powers you have deep inside you."

Casey walked between each of the Rangers, checking their breathing to gaze their level of focus. The more in tune they were with themselves, the easier this exercise would go for each of them.

"Your animal spirit is the embodiment of your strengths, weaknesses, and your being. It represents you and once you've earned its trust and made that connection with it, it will share with you all its powers. Your animal spirit will be your single greatest ally, your best friend, and your most loyal companion."

When Casey noticed his students were ready he asked them to get to their feet and paired them off into twos. Because there were five Rangers plus Jordan and Rebecca, Casey was left with an odd number of students, but he had seen Gia use her animal spirit in battle and so took her as his partner to demonstrate to the others what he expected them to do. He told Gia to follow his lead as much as she could and let his body go as he followed the movements of his own tiger spirit.

Gia crossed her arms and titled her head, "You look ridiculous."

Casey opened his eyes and stood up straight, "It's the tiger style."

"It looks like Tai Chi," Gia stated.

"Or a really awkward and lonely slow dance," Rebecca added. Casey looked to Gia.

"Let your animal spirit guide your movements. In battle, this skill will serve you greatly. My tiger has never steered me wrong."

"Neither has Emma," Gia pointed to the pink Ranger. "Do I seriously have to do this?"

"You need to show your tiger that you trust it," Casey nodded and positioned her into the first stance. "She'll be more likely to give herself to you if you show her that you trust and respect her. Follow her rhythm. And don't worry about looking stupid, everyone's going to try this."

Gia took in a deep breath but decided she would go for it. Her tiger had already saved her once today. She figured the least she could do is a silly little slow dance to show she was grateful. She watched Casey and followed his movements until she felt something inside of her guide her. Eventually she was able to close her eyes and continue with the slow and steady movements.

"Whoa! Whoa! She's on fire!" Rebecca cried out when Gia's body started to glow yellow. Gia could hear her friends talking but very easily could also ignore them as she listened to her animal spirit.

"Burn her! Burn her!" she heard Jordan chant but didn't let it bother her. He was always only teasing. However, something inside of her came up. She couldn't ignore him anymore. She opened her eyes and turned to him. At that very moment her tiger leapt out from her chest and pounced on him. There was no aggression but it had been fast enough to catch him off guard. He let out a cry as he fell on his back. Gia chuckled.

"This is why I love tigers," she smiled as her spirit disappeared.

Jordan got back to his feet and as he brushed himself off he turned to Casey, "Is that even allowed?"

"Animal Spirits are like humans," Casey said. "They each have their own personalities. Some are a little more protective of us than others."

"Ha," Gia smirked. "Now maybe you'll think twice about pushing my buttons."

"Uh, we're all here to get animal spirits," Jordan said. "You might want to be careful, I'm sure I'm going to come at you with something awesome. Just you wait."

"Why don't we try it now?" Casey asked. "Jordan, Rebecca, let's see what you can do?"

"Is there a zebra animal spirit?" Rebecca asked as she stepped forward, taking Gia's place in front of Casey while Jordan stood by her side. "I know there's cool stuff like the lion and elephant and a wolf, but if I can't get something cool like that, I want to know there's a zebra."

"There are many different animal spirits," Casey assured her. "I'm sure you're going to like yours."

"I'm getting a zebra," Rebecca turned to Noah with a smirk. Noah shook his head.

"He didn't say that."

"He didn't say I wouldn't."

"Yeah, but..."

"Noah," Troy grabbed the blue Ranger's arm and shook his head, "Trust me, don't argue with her on this. Even if you're right, you're never going to win."

Casey had an idea of what the two spirits standing before him were, but until Jordan and Rebecca tapped into them he wouldn't know for sure. He decided to stick to showing them the tiger style until they made the connection with their animal spirit and then he would see what he was working with.

So he closed his eyes and followed the rhythm his tiger showed him. After a couple of minutes he peeked at his students and noticed they were no longer following him, but moving at their own pace and to their own rhythm. He waited for them to finish, which was marked by a faint glow around their bodies before he spoke up again.

"Wow, you guys are progressing very quickly."

"Did my zebra come out?" Rebecca asked, "I want to see it! Was he cute?"

Casey shook his head, "It'll be a long time still until you two are able to unleash your animal spirits, but you have connected with them."

"So what do I have? It's a lion, right?" Jordan asked and he turned to Gia, "Your tiger better watch out."

Casey smiled as he looked at his two students. He started with Rebecca, "You have the dolphin spirit."

"You say zebra funny," Rebecca said. Casey shook his head.

"Dolphins are playful, intuitive, smart, and healing creatures," he explained to her. "You're very lucky to have her."

Rebecca thought about this for a moment and then smiled. "Alright, dolphins are pretty kick-ass too. I'm happy."

"And me?" Jordan asked.

"The turtle."

"A... wait a second. I have the turtle spirit? Can a turtle even fight?"

"This isn't about battle," Casey said. "You should be glad you have the turtle. Those with turtle spirits are strong, grounded and determined. They're able to slow themselves down to analyze what's going on around them and they remain calm even in times of trouble."

"They can also beat rabbits at foot races," Rebecca teased.

"The turtle is a great spirit to have," Casey said, "And as an ally to the Rangers, if you can hone your bond with the turtle, you are going to become invaluable."

"A lion would be pretty invaluable too, won't it?" Jordan asked. Casey chuckled. Jordan wasn't the first to be disappointed by the reveal. For many students it took a lot of time before they could appreciate what their animal had to offer.

As Jordan joined the others in line to make room for Troy and Noah, who were up next, Gia looked to him.

"My tiger shudders against your mighty turtle," she teased him.

"Gia, stop it," Emma shook her head and put her arms around her fiancé, "I think the turtle's cute."

"Great. I'm a turtle and I'm cute."

As Emma tried to convince Jordan the turtle was a good animal to be connected to, Noah and Troy followed Casey's instructions to tap into their animal spirits and after a while their bodies began to glow as well. Casey congratulated them and let them know that they had the spirit of the shark and the dragon respectively.

Jordan's mood soured, "Damn turtle."

"Looks like Gosei was pretty accurate choosing our Zords," Emma pointed out as she and Jake took their spots in front of Casey as the last two to go. "I guess he assigned them to us for a reason."

"Snake style!" Jake smirked as he got himself excited for his animal spirit. "If that's what I've got, it'll make up for the switch to green."

"Odds are he's getting the snake," Jordan huffed. He had now taken a seat in the grass with the others to watch Emma and Jake, "Everyone gets something cool and I get stuck with a turtle."

"I'm sure you're turtle can hear you," Rebecca said. "He probably doesn't appreciate you bad mouthing turtles."

"Aren't snapping turtles pretty cool?" Troy asked. "They are pretty powerful."

"Yeah, if you stick a limb right in front of their face they might be able to rip it off. I've got a slow turtle."

"Turtles can move pretty quickly in the water," Noah pointed out. "And their shell makes them pretty resilient. If you practice right, you could have a pretty strong animal spirit."

"It's a turtle. I was hoping for something a little more majestic."

"I could make you a crown," Rebecca offered with a quick shrug of her shoulders.

"Jordan," Gia put her hand on his shoulder and squeezed it comfortingly. He looked to her.

"Yeah?"

"Turtle."

"Shut up!" he frowned and shoved her to the ground.

At that same moment, Jake managed to tap into his animal spirit and just like he predicted his was the snake. Casey congratulated him, explained the significance of the snake to him and then turned to Emma. She was trying, and she was doing everything right as far as he was concerned, but he couldn't get anything from her. He had a sense that there was a spirit inside of her. Everyone had one. But he couldn't figure out what it was and it seemed Emma couldn't tap into it. He shook his head as she looked to him for help.

"I'm sorry. I can't figure it out."

"What do you mean? Everyone else got one."

"Sometimes these things just take a little longer," Casey told her. "I'm sure if you keep training..."

Casey trailed off when he put his hand on her shoulder and felt she was abnormally warm, and getting hotter by the second. Before he could question her on it, make sure she was feeling alright, she burst into flames before him.


	59. Spirit of the Huang

With a sleeping Ava in her arms, Lily lifted up a little backpack and slung it over her shoulder. It had been a long and very stressful day for the Megaforce Rangers and she didn't want to be a burden to them anymore. She was going to take Ava back home so the little girl would be out of the way. Casey would stay. At the training lesson, all had gone well with the Rangers getting in touch with their animal spirits until Emma ran into a bit of trouble reaching hers. Still without an explanation the pink Ranger had burst into flames and dropped to the ground. She was still unconscious as Lily packed up to leave, however she had no burn marks.

A former Ranger leaving the command center needed to be walked out. It was just a matter of common courtesy. With the others so worried about Emma, Gia had to be the one to walk her out. As leader it was her responsibility. Lily was also a former yellow, so Gia did want a moment with her, and Gia also needed a moment away from Emma. She couldn't bear to see her friend in that position.

Lily checked that she had everything she needed and then looked at Gia. She tried to smile but felt so guilty for what had happened to Emma she could barely get her lips to curl upwards. Gia shrugged her shoulders.

"Don't worry about it."

"If there's anything you need, I can get in touch with the other Masters."

"I'm sure Casey's thinking of that," Gia said. "Just take care of that little girl."

Lily looked to Ava and then sighed again – this time gratefully.

"Thanks for your help. I was going out of my mind with worry for this little cub," she said. "It's been a rough few years and sometimes she's only thing that keeps me going."

Gia nodded her head. She knew exactly how Lily felt. Were it not for her teammates, she would have given up a long time ago. Lily noticed the look and once again felt badly.

"Sorry. I didn't mean that. I guess after everything you've been through lately having a kid, a pretty good baby daddy, and having to work is kind of the dream life."

"After all I've been through?"

"Uh... Dr. Oliver," Lily hesitated when she saw the confused look on the younger woman's face. "A few months ago he got in touch with the teams for a..."

"Right, the fundraiser," Gia said. "So that means you know about Cliff?"

"I didn't mean to bring it up," Lily said. "After everything today it's probably the last thing you want to think about and..."

"It's fine," Gia said and smiled just to reassure Lily that no harm was done. "It... it feels like forever ago, actually. In a good way."

"How's that?"

"I've moved on. Sort of," Gia answered.

"Well, if you ever need anything, or just someone to talk to," Lily said, "There's always a table for you at JKP. The owner's a bit of a weirdo the first time you meet him, and every other time, but the pizzas are great."

"JKP? The pizza place?" Gia asked. "You and the Jungle Fury team worked there while you were Rangers."

"What do you mean worked?" Lily chuckled and gestured to her daughter. "With this little kitten eating me out of house and home, I'm still working there."

"Do you mind if I ask... what happened?" Gia said as she looked over at Ava and then back at Lily. "I mean, the whole time the two of you have been here, you and Casey seem really close but... you called him your baby daddy and..."

"Casey and I dated for a while," Lily said. "It was after we found out I was pregnant. We tried to make it work but... I guess I'm just not meant to be in a relationship with teammates."

"Teammates?"

"I dated the blue Ranger, too," Lily said. "That didn't work out. He's still my best friend but... well men and women can, and sometimes should, just be friends."

"Yeah. Jake excepted, obviously, but these guys are like brothers. I couldn't imagine dating them."

"Yeah, that's what I told Casey. Look at that," Lily chuckled and gestured again to her daughter. "For what it's worth, though, based on what little I saw, you and Jake seem really happy together. And after he who will not be named again, it's great to see you're able to move on."

"Slowly," Gia nodded her head. "There are still some things I can't do without the past coming back but I'm getting there. Jake's been really great about it. It's what makes him pretty perfect."

"Well, as far as boyfriends go, you seem to have a pretty good one. I wish I could say the same..."

"Look, I know it's not my business but... I don't know, maybe it's the tiger spirit connection stuff Casey's been going on to me about but... he seems to still really like you."

"We're just friends and parents," Lily shook her head. "We tried the relationship thing but... he worked so much I felt there was never any time for us or Ava. Casey's always late picking her up, sometimes by a few hours and it's just frustrating."

"She seems to love him, though. At least he's showing up, right?"

"Always," Lily nodded. "I guess if you take the late factor out of it, he's always there. And every time she comes home after staying with him she's always smiling and she's so happy. He comes through in the end."

"She's a lucky kid."

"It's just that late factor," Lily shook her head. "I don't want her to hurt..."

"Late is one thing. Not showing up, that's what really hurts," Gia said. She glanced to her bedroom door and sighed. "Emma would tell you all about that if she could. As far as fathers go, Ava's really lucked out. Believe me, it could be a lot worse."

"I guess so, but..."

"Her parents went to Disney World without her. They kind of just dumped her with my parents and took off. Once, they completely forgot to talk to my parents about taking Emma for the week while they went on one of their trips. Apparently they had an early flight. When dad got up to go to work that morning, he found Emma sitting on our doorstep all alone in the rain."

"Really?"

"She's had a key to our house since then," Gia nodded. "Dad called Mr. Goodall to find out what happened. Emma was supposed to stay for seven nights. She was at our place for sixteen."

"Sixteen?"

"Her parents came home, forgot to pick her up, and then decided to head out of state to visit the grandparents for a few days, and then forgot to pick her up again. My dad had to actually remind them they had a daughter."

"I can always count on Casey to show up eventually. And at least he's late because of work. Not because he forgot his daughter."

"Waiting around is frustrating, but it seems Ava's still got a daddy she can count on."

"He... he is a pretty good father," Lily said and looked down at her daughter again, "Sometimes, I guess I wish Ava could have a regular family."

"Nothing is going to be regular about a Ranger family," Gia chuckled. "That's not a wish that's going to come true."

"You know what I mean," Lily smiled. And then turned for the exit, "I should probably go before this kitten wakes up. But seriously, if there's anything I can do for Emma, or if you just need to talk, just give me a call. Yellows have to stick together."

"Amen," Gia nodded and waved goodbye as Lily headed out. Gia watched Lily carry the little girl away with a smile on her face. She couldn't be certain what would happen between Ava's parents when they were all reunited but she knew the young tiger spirit would be well looked after.

Once they were gone, Gia went to go find Tensou. As she did, she saw her new plush tiger on the kitchen counter and smiled as she picked it up. She finally had a name for it.

"I'm not losing you, Kitten*."

-Megaforce-

It was well into the night but Jordan ignored his body's request for sleep. Mostly everyone in the command center was. When Emma had dropped during training and had been surrounded by flames, everyone began to panic. Worry had set in and would not disappear until Emma could tell them herself that she was fine or Tensou or Noah could come up with an answer. Jordan preferred the former but he just wanted to know what had happened.

"Your database is pretty thorough," Casey said as he walked in. "I got to do a lot of studying up on the Pai Zhuq and animal spirits. Gosei really knows his Ranger history."

"What happened?"

"I don't know," Casey shook his head. "Though I can assure you, Emma's not alone. I've seen a lot of people faint after reaching their animal spirit for the first time. Sometimes there's more power inside you than you're ready for."

"So this has happened before?"

"To an extent."

"You mean others would be awake by now."

"Yeah," Casey nodded. "If it's any consolation, the odds that an animal spirit kills or even causes long term damage to its human are pretty low. There have only ever been a few cases since the Beast War, and that was ten thousand years ago."

"So what you're saying is you're due?"

"No... No, it's just... these things generally aren't serious. I get you're worried but I'm sure once she wakes up, everything's going to be fine."

"Fine? You think everything's going to be _fine?_" Jordan asked. He stood up and pointed at Emma, "My fiancée burst into flames and you're trying to tell me everything's _fine?_"

"Jordan, you've got to stay calm, for Emma's sake."

"Then don't come back in here until you can tell me what happened," Jordan pointed to the door. Casey knew better than to stay. Jordan was obviously very upset and he didn't feel like getting into a fight. He joined the others back in the command center.

"Told you," Gia muttered from her spot on the couch. Given their circumstances, Tensou had agreed to use his laser to fix up her shoulder sooner than he had promised. He had wanted to give her body a week to recover so that once he ran the laser there would be no lingering effects, but with Emma down and it looking like she wouldn't be up again for a while, the Rangers needed all the help they could get. Gia had opted to take the risk with her shoulder so that her teammates wouldn't suffer.

"It's got to be her animal spirit," Casey said, "And they rarely ever hurt their host bodies. I tried to tell him she'd be fine but..."

"You're not reassuring anyone until we know what happened," Gia told him. She then turned to Noah, "Any luck with it?"

"I thought of maybe trying to analyze the flames when she burst," Noah said and showed the Rangers the footage he was watching. It was just a still of the moment where Emma had been surrounded by fire, her body barely visible. "I'm not sure what I've got, but I think there might be something there."

"In the fire?" Jake asked and had a look for himself. He shook his head, "All I see are flames."

"This part, here at the top," Noah circled the upper portion of the flames with his finger, "What does that look like?"

"Fire."

"Really?" Noah frowned. He pulled off his glasses. Generally he couldn't see at all with them, but maybe they weren't as clear as he thought they were. "I was sure there was something there."

While he cleaned his lenses Troy walked up to the console and had a look for himself. While training, he had noticed a pattern with the animal spirits. For the most part, Gosei had gotten them right when he assigned them their Zord animal. Gia was the tiger, Jake the snake, Noah a shark, and he was a dragon. It didn't seem to be as clear cut for Emma what her spirit animal could be. The Pai Zhuq studied kung fu, a Chinese martial art where they believed in dragon spirits. And there was no denying the existence of tigers, snakes, sharks, dolphins and turtles.

Phoenixes were greek.

However, as Troy examined the flames closely, he could make out a bird.

"The bird," he said and Noah looked up. He nodded his head and put his glasses back on.

"I thought so!"

"So Emma's spirit is a bird?" Gia frowned.

"A fire bird? Is she actually a phoenix?" Rebecca asked.

Casey shook his head, "There are no phoenix spirits. Well, Camile... she had one, but it wasn't a real spirit and it was given to her, not earned. But I think I remember reading something," he walked up to the console and started to go through the database. He was really impressed with how much information the Megaforce Rangers could gather, and though it seemed impossible to look through it all, Casey knew where he was going and it was much easier to find his way through the many pages. "No way..." he said when he found what he was looking for. "She should be dead!"

"What?" Gia's head snapped up and her shoulder moved, startling Tensou with the laser.

"Hey! Careful!" he cried out and grabbed the yellow Ranger to hold her down. "This isn't just a massage, you know! You can't just go jumping around on me like that!"

"Sorry, Tensou," Gia said and then glared at Casey, "What do you mean dead?"

"Talk fast, talk fast," Jake whispered to the former red.

"The Spirit of the Huang. Or, Chinese Phoenix."

"Wait. You said there were no phoenix spirits," Rebecca pointed out.

"There aren't. At least, not the kind of phoenix we imagined. The spirit of the huang was thought to exist before the Beast War, but they were so rare, usually only one was born at a time."

"So what happened to them?" Noah asked.

"The last one died, and no other huang spirit was ever found. They're the purest of the spirits, some of the most powerful too. At least, legend has it."

"So... Emma's spirit is a seriously kick ass spirit?" Jake asked. "Like Vekar won't know what he's in for?"

"Emma won't know what she's in for," Casey said. "These spirits are a pain to master. It takes years of training and dedication."

"Will Emma be okay?" Gia asked. Casey nodded his head.

"The huang isn't known to hurt its host, but legend says once they are awakened, they prefer freedom," Casey looked at the footage from their training again and sighed, "Those flames may have been her attempt at escaping."

"Don't animal spirits live inside of us?" Jake asked. "Why is this one different?"

"All animal spirits have different personalities. The huang is best known for preferring to live outside it's host's body. Other animal spirits have preferred this too, but every huang is known for it."

"So, if Emma can set it free..."

"Without bonding to it, I wouldn't suggest that," Casey said. "Emma's in a lot of trouble."

* * *

_Author's Note:* Thanks to fallingstar22 for the suggestion. I know your suggestion was Ava, but like you said, it's not very tiger-like. But I figured naming the toy after a child would be something Gia would do, so I went with one of Ava's nicknames from her parents: Kitten._

_Thanks everyone for your great suggestions!_


	60. Alternative Solutions

For the first time since he had set her down in the bed, Jordan stepped away from Emma's side. It wasn't exactly by choice, except the choice not to pee his pants. Emma had been out for hours and though he wanted to see her wake desperately, he doubted it would happen in the few minutes he stepped away to use the washroom.

On his way back, he saw Tensou and Rebecca looking over the consoles. He had heard the alarms go off and knew the alien the Rangers had faced earlier was back in the city but he didn't really care for the outcome of the battle. The only thing on his mind was Emma.

Gia had talked to him about the answers they found. He knew that it was assumed Emma possessed the Spirit of the Huang – or Chinese Phoenix, Gia had clarified. It seemed it was a powerful spirit and rare. Very few had ever possessed it, and those who had spent many years of their lives mastering their spirit and bonding with it. It was a full commitment with many painful years of training. The Huang was a free spirited bird who, unlike most animal spirits, did not like being confined within the body of its host. It needed to be free and would resist its confined quarters until it felt freedom.

Jordan had also learned that there was a way for the Huang and Emma to live together peacefully. She needed to master her spirit – to bond with it so that it would be able to return to her any time she called. She needed to build a bridge between them that would keep them connected while the Huang spread its wings. Unfortunately, Gia had also explained that this, too, was many years of dedication. It was time Emma would not have, especially as the Pink Ranger, where her duties to protect the world often interfered with her commitment to unloading the dishwasher on a regular basis.

In other words, Jordan knew that unless an alternative was found, his fiancée was in trouble. Suddenly, the spirit of the turtle didn't seem so bad.

"There's breakfast," Rebecca said just as he reached the bedroom door. Jordan sighed and looked across the room at the table, where a cold breakfast sat waiting for him. Gia had tried to offer it to him just before the alarm went off but he refused to eat. "I'm to shove it down your throat if you refuse it again. Captain's orders."

"Tell her I'm not hungry," Jordan shook his head and tried to retreat into the room to look over Emma. Rebecca spoke to him again.

"The Rangers are doing great. I mean, they're getting a lot of help from Casey but they're using the power of their animal spirits to hit Pacha Cha-Cha, or whatever he's called."

"I don't care."

"It's really impressive," Rebecca called him back. "Come look! They started with the Jungle Fury Keys and... well, they haven't had to morph out yet. Ryan and I were talking, and she thinks it's the spirit animals giving them that extra boost to stay in Legendary Mode."

Jordan frowned and turned to the play pen, where little Ryan looked about ready for a nap. He looked to Rebecca.

"Your baby sister said all that?"

"Ryan's smart. She gets that from me. My dolphin spirit proves I'm smart."

"You know you two aren't actually related, right?"

Rebecca frowned and then turned back to the console just in time to see Noah unleash a powerful blue force from his chest. It didn't quite have the shape of a shark but Rebecca knew that was him summoning his animal spirit. When it struck Pacha Chamax down, weakening the alien considerably, she pumped a fist in the air, "Yeah! Go Noah! Jordan, you really should watch. Emma's fine where she is and the others are kicking butt!"

"I don't want to watch."

"You know, sulking isn't very turtle of you," Rebecca crossed her arms over her chest, but smiled when she saw her brother's spirit hit the alien, and then two tigers jumped in to finish him off. She looked back at Jordan, "Emma's in a bad place, but being a lonely ass isn't going to help. You could actually help us look for answers, you know. At least eat something. You know she'd be pissed at you if she knew you weren't taking care of yourself."

"I'm not hungry," Jordan was about to close the door but something hit the wall right by his head. He turned around and saw Rebecca had thrown one of Ryan's baby toys. He rolled his eyes.

"Real mature, dolphin."

"You know, I think Casey got your spirit wrong. You're more of an ass than a turtle. What happened to level-headed and calm under pressure?"

"I'm sure any turtle would be hurting if their fiancée was in a Huang induced coma."

"We're all scared," Rebecca stated, "But at least we're trying to do something about it. Noah was up all night last night doing research to see if there was something we could do. Jake actually read through some documents with Casey to learn more about the Huang spirit. Troy put Ryan to bed and then used Casey's phone to call all the living Pai Zhuq Masters to see if they had any suggestions. And Gia risked consequences for fixing up her shoulder early to support the team for this fight, helped where she could in the research, and made dinner and breakfast for you, to take care of you, because she knows Emma would want you to be healthy. You sat on your ass all night feeling sorry for yourself and for Emma. Some husband you'll be. Maybe Emma is just better off marrying Gia like the fan-sites say."

Jordan clenched his fists, "You heard Casey. There's nothing we can do."

"Casey's not the one moping. He's trying to help, you know."

"I..."

"Your girlfriend's pulled herself and everyone else out of situations just like this. Hell, she's done a lot tougher without you feeling sorry for anyone. She doesn't need your pity. If anything, she needs you to try something, anything. Even if it doesn't work, all you need to do is fight for her."

"Rebecca..."

"I may not be engaged," Rebecca said, "But we're in the same boat, Jordan. I'd be terrified too if this happened to Troy or Noah but... I don't think I could justify sitting on my ass and just waiting for some answer to come. I don't get to be out there helping them or fighting for them, but that doesn't mean there's nothing I can do. So either man up and be the husband she needs or... or I'll tell Gia on you."

"You're not going to scare me with Gia this time."

"Really? Because she's got her arm back and a scary tiger spirit now. And if this is the scolding _I'm_ going to give you, imagine how much worse you're going to get it when the big scary kitty decides she's put up with enough of your pity party."

Jordan looked over to the pile of papers and Noah's computer on the couches and sighed. He walked over to them. Rebecca smirked as she watched and then turned to Ryan.

"That's the dolphin style, kid. I know, I know, silence is the best way to express your enthusiasm. No applause or cheer would be loud enough to do justice to this awesomeness."

As Rebecca went to join Jordan with the books, Ryan just watched from her playpen with LT's ear in her mouth.

Jordan opened up the first book and then glanced over to Rebecca.

"I know about Ranger fan-sites," he said. "But people are really shipping Gia and Emma?"

"Well, yellow and pink," Rebecca said. "I mean, no one knows it's Gia and Emma, but apparently there's chemistry."

"Has it occurred to them the girls might be straight?"

"Yeah," Emma nodded. "Then they set up yellow and green, which makes sense, and red and pink."

"What's Troy doing with my fiancée?"

Rebecca shrugged, "I wouldn't start that war. It gets messy. Virtual bloodshed. Now come on, Turtle, read up on the magic Chinese bird."

-Megaforce-

Emma opened her eyes and she was not where she thought she would be. She assumed that she would find herself either in her room in the command center or still out on the training grounds, depending on how long she had been out for. Instead she found herself in what appeared to be a pink forest. She must have hit her head pretty hard.

"Steady, take it easy," she heard a voice say as someone helped her to sit up, and then she was handed something to drink. Her throat felt dry so she accepted the drink and quickly sipped it before having another look around. She saw three faces she didn't recognized, which only added to the mystery of the pink foliage.

"Where am I?"

"You're in the spirit world," the woman told her. "It was the only thing we could do to save you."

"Save me?"

"You have the spirit of the Huang," the bigger of the two men nodded his head. "She tried to break free, and will continue to try. Here, the two of you can live independently."

"Independently?" Emma asked and then heard a loud cry from above. She looked up and saw a multi-coloured bird sore across the sky before landing in a tree off in the distance. Emma didn't quite understand it, but she felt connected to the bird and wanted to learn more.

"The Huang is the empress of the spirits," the skinny man told her. "She wishes for freedom to watch over her fellow animals. But breaking that bond between you and her is dangerous unless you have learned to master your spirit."

"I... I just found out I had an animal spirit," Emma shook her head. "It'll take forever for me to master it!"

"That is why we brought you here," the woman said. "Here, you have all the time in the world. Time you will need to train."

"What about my home? My friends are counting on me. I need my animal spirit to stop the monster! I can't stay here."

"If you go home, the Huang will refuse to follow. She refuses captivity."

"I don't want to keep her in captivity. She's... isn't she my animal spirit? Don't we work together?"

"Many of our animal spirits can live harmoniously inside of us. The Huang is not one of them."

"But I want to go back!"

"Leaving here will break the connection between you and the Huang, leaving you both severely weakened. The Huang will not have the power to watch over the animals and you will not have the strength to morph again!" the bigger man told her sternly. "I am sorry, but for the good of all humanity you must stay here."

"I have to go back. I can't stay here. My friends..."

"Masters," Emma heard someone call from behind her and the three strangers looked right over her shoulder. She turned around and was surprised by what she saw. There in front of her was Joe Moran.

Joe stepped up next to Emma and gently took her hand as he looked to the three strangers. He bowed slightly.

"Master Rilla, Master Lope, Master Guin, let me help. I'm sure there's another solution. Emma and the Huang can reach a compromise."

"You feel this can be accomplished?" Master Guin asked. Joe nodded his head.

"If there's anyone who can do it, it's Emma," Joe said and gently squeezed her hand. Emma was in shock and on the verge of tears as all she could do was look up at Joe.

"Very well," Master Guin nodded. "But it is the Huang who must have the final say. If she chooses not to return to Earth..."

"I understand," Joe gave a little bow and then turned to Emma. She still stared up at him in awe until she heard the wind blow through the trees and when she turned to the three Masters they were gone. She looked back at Joe.

"But you... you're dead..."

"Everyone here is dead," Joe nodded his head. "Everyone but you. At least for now. Why don't I explain on the way. We shouldn't keep the Huang waiting."

"Joe," Emma pulled on his arm as he started to walk. He turned around and looked at her. He wasn't surprised when she leapt into his arms and hugged him tight. Emma buried her face in his shoulder, "I missed you."

"I never stopped thinking about you," Joe answered and kissed the top of her head.


	61. All You Can

Pink had always been her favourite colour, but as she walked with Joe through the pink forest of the Spirit World the strange coloured plants were the last thing on her mind. She could barely think of anything except _how_.

"After the clone killed me, I found myself here," Joe explained to Emma, who could barely pay attention to the answer. She was too much in awe for anything in her head to really be working. "It took a lot of adjusting. I never really imagined Heaven to look like this."

"Heaven? I thought this was the Spirit World."

"It's whatever you want it to be," Joe smiled. He stopped walking and turned to Emma. He gently took her hands in his and looked down at her. Emma had never seen him look so happy. She had never felt so happy before herself. "It's really great to see you, sweetheart."

"Everyone misses you," Emma said. "You know, you weren't supposed to die."

"It took me a while to cope," Joe nodded his head. "The Spirit World is great. I've got to meet a lot of great people, but I left so much unfinished down on Earth, it's hard to just sit back and watch it all unfold. It's hard not being able to do anything."

Joe cupped Emma's cheek in his hand and leaned in to kiss her forehead, "But you've never failed to make me proud. Everything you've done, your passion, your kindness, your courage. I am so proud you let me call you my daughter."

Emma looked up lovingly and couldn't stop herself from jumping into his arms again. She squeezed him tightly and never wanted to let go. She was so happy to have these moments with him. A part of her didn't want to talk the Huang Spirit into a compromise. A part of her didn't want to leave Joe behind. But she knew this wasn't her place. She knew this wasn't fair. As she hugged the only man who had been like a father to her she started to cry. She couldn't stop herself. Joe pushed her away to look at her.

"Emma..."

"It shouldn't be me," Emma said. "Vanessa and Gia... if anyone should get the chance to talk to you again it should be them."

"You'll pass on my message to them," Joe said. "And I will see them again. Don't feel bad, Emma."

"It's going to kill her," Emma whispered and shook her head. "Gia's... she's..."

"I know," Joe took Emma back in his arms. "But that's out of our control. Let's go find that Huang and get you home."

Emma nodded her head and looked up at the trees. Still off in the distance, the Huang was sitting at the very top of a tall tree, her eyes on Emma and Joe. Emma knew she would have to come up with something good to tell the Huang to go back to Earth with as much powers as she could get.

Though as she looked to Joe, her Ranger powers didn't seem all that important.

The walk through the forest was no big deal to her. Her entire life had been spent walking or riding through the forest and parks of Harwood County. The hike to the tree was long, but Emma didn't pay any mind to the ache in her legs. All she thought about was her speech to the Huang, and asking her animal spirit to give her the only thing that really mattered.

When they were almost at the tree, a thought crossed Emma's mind. She looked up to Joe, "Mr. And Mrs. Burrows."

"What about them?" Joe asked, though the look on his face suggested he already knew what Emma wanted to ask him.

"Are they here?"

"Everyone's here."

"Do they know?"

"Yes."

Emma was silent after that and continued to rehearse her speech in her head. Joe walked with her and kept one eye on the Huang up in the trees and another on the pink Ranger. No words could express how truly proud he was of the young woman.

Emma was midway through her eighth repetition of her speech when Joe announced they had reached the tree. She looked up and saw the Huang, who must have been a mile high on the top branch. Emma thought to climb the tree but as she reached to grab the first branch, the Huang soared down and rested right in front of her. Emma looked to Joe and then to her animal spirit. She could already feel the bond between them forming, but it didn't feel strong.

"You're happy here, aren't you?" she asked the bird who gave no indication of an answer, but Emma knew she was saying yes. The pink Ranger continued, "I heard you liked to be free. Being trapped inside me isn't for you, is it?"

The Huang made a noise resembling a normal bird chirp. Emma knew what it meant.

"I don't want to keep you trapped, either. It's not me, it's not who I am. If it were up to me, you'd have your freedom all the time. You could live here in the Spirit World and do whatever made you happy. But it's not up to me. The Masters say we can't be split, and I don't have enough mastery over you... or, rather, over myself, I guess, to stay bonded with you. I don't think either of us want to lose our power."

The Huang ruffled it's feathers. Emma nodded her head.

"But we can compromise," Emma said. "I know the Earth isn't the best place to be right now but... it needs me. My friends need me. We're in a fight with this monster and it seems like only our Animal Spirits can hurt it. He's threatening our home, he's threatening innocent lives and I need to be there to help my teammates against him and all the other monsters that come after him. So, can we make a deal?"

The Huang tilted her head. She wasn't completely on board but Emma could see she was open to suggestions. Emma took in a deep breath, looked to Joe, and the back at the colourful bird.

"Come with me to Earth. I'll set you free and I'll let you take as much of my strength as you need to feel full. You'll be as majestic and powerful as you are now and I'll make up for what I've lost. I'll train harder, I'll work harder, I'll do whatever it takes. And if you want to go back to the spirit world, you can use up my powers to get there. I'll figure something else out. I'll find another way to help my friends. I'll let you go. You can rule the skies and look over all the animal spirits and people you want. You'll never have to worry about me. I promise, I'll look after myself."

The Huang tilted her head a little further, asking Emma why she would make that sacrifice. The pink Ranger glanced at Joe.

"I want to bring three people back."

The Huang made a loud screech. Emma covered her ears until it was over.

"I know, I can't bring them back for good but... What happened to Joe and Mr. and Mrs. Burrows isn't fair; not for them and not for my friends. I'll give you whatever you want and whatever you need if you just do this thing for me."

"Emma," Joe put his hand on Emma's shoulder, "This isn't necessary. The Huang will be happy on Earth as long as you promise her freedom. Gia, Troy, and Rebecca will get to see us again one day."

"They deserve this," Emma said. "And if I have to train night and day for the rest of my life just so they can have five minutes, I will. Please, Huang. Do we have a deal?"

The Huang looked to Emma for a moment before it flew up into the sky. Emma called after it but it never came back. It disappeared off into the sun.

"I think you pushed too hard," Joe said. "You're meddling with the laws of nature. Death isn't always fair. You have to learn to live with that."

"Maybe," Emma said. "But I'd never have been able to live with myself if I hadn't tried."

Emma sighed and looked up. Just when she thought she would never be able to go home again the sky turned black and her whole world faded into darkness.

-Megaforce-

Down on Earth, a few days had passed already and despite all their combined efforts, there was still no progress from Emma. The Rangers had tried everything they could imagine to help her but she wasn't responding at all. Though they refused to give up just yet, some were a little more reluctant to keep trying.

Jordan wanted to stay strong. Every day he tried to keep hope that there would be some magic solution to give him back his fiancée, but the longer he waited the less it looked like it was going to happen. He hated seeing her in the bed looking so vulnerable and helpless. He hated how she would just lie there and wouldn't talk to him or react to anything he said or did.

As he sat by her bedside with her he tried to think of something else he could do. There wasn't much left that he hadn't tried, but he hoped a new idea would come to him. As he thought, Gia walked in with a plate for him. He had been spending more time with the Rangers but unless someone brought him food he wouldn't eat. It never crossed his mind to do so.

"I gave you just the right amount to keep you healthy," Gia told him as she set the plate down on the table by the bed. "You better eat it all or I will shove it down your throat."

Jordan knew that was a serious threat. When he hadn't made the effort to eat his breakfast the day before, and had skipped dinner the night before that, Gia had forced fed him his lunch. Jordan had eaten every meal since then.

"Thanks."

"You know, Emma's not a quitter," Gia said. "I mean, she knows a lost cause when she sees one, but I've never seen her just give up. She's in there fighting too. You just have to hope..."

"I'm tired of hope. It's been four days now, Gia! Two monsters have come and gone since then!"

Jordan was feeling increasingly frustrated and because Gia was the one who came to visit Emma the most often, he generally let out his anger on her. She put up with it. She stood strong against him and seemed to understand that it was just his frustration speaking, but the first night he had lost a little too much control and kicked over a chair. Gia didn't seem to even flinch when she had been in the room, but moments after she left Jake had stormed in and yelled at him. Jordan was allowed to feel frustrated, but not to the point where his friends felt threatened by him. He had crossed a line with Gia. She still hadn't talked to him about it personally, though. Jordan wasn't even sure she knew Jake had scolded him. She pretended it hadn't happened. Since then, he had done his best not to let his frustration take over.

"I miss her too, but if there's anyone who can beat this it's Emma. If Casey's right about her having to build a bond with the Huang then we should be good. No one's better with animals than Emma."

"What if she can't?" Jordan asked. "That stupid bird set her on fire, and it's been keeping her in this bed for days. What if this is one animal she can't convince? What if even she's not good enough?"

"You don't mean that."

Jordan thought about what he said and then groaned, "She is good enough, Gia, of course. It's just... this is a big deal..."

"Emma talked around the Lion Zord and there's not a bad or evil bone in her body. You know that."

"I know, I know..."

"The Huang, her spirit, has to know she's good. Has to know what she wants and how far she's willing to go for it. It'll have to know Emma's the best human it can hope to have as a host."

"I know."

"Just give her time," Gia said. "Emma's going to come around."

"You really believe?"

"I've always believed in her," Gia nodded her head. "She's never let me down before. She'll do this, and we've got to keep doing what we're doing to help."

Jordan took a deep breath and then let out a long sigh. He reached forward for his dinner and then started to eat. He promised Gia he would help do a little more research when he was done. Gia nodded and then left the room. As soon as she closed the door she wiped a few tears from her eyes.

"Is everything okay?" she heard Troy asked and saw him sitting against the wall right outside the door. She jumped from being startled and then shook her head.

"It's fine. What are you doing there?"

"I heard yelling. Jordan didn't throw a chair again, did he?"

"He's just frustrated..."

"So he did?"

"No," Gia shook her head. "It's just... getting real hard seeing her like this. She's always been there, you know. Now that she's like this... even with you guys I feel like I've got no safety net anymore. Like I'm alone."

Troy nodded his head as Gia sat down next to him, "I know how you feel," he said. "Becca and Ryan are great, and you guys are amazing help but... without my parents to count on, it's lonely. All the responsibility for the family falls on me. All the big family decisions fall on me now."

"I always used to count on Emma's opinion for my big life decisions," Gia nodded. "If she doesn't come out of this... I guess I've still got Jake and mom but..."

"She's the only person you've never hidden anything from," Troy said. "The person who knows you best."

"This Ranger stuff's a bunch of crap," Gia sighed and looked to Troy. "It's done a whole lot of good for me, but it's taken away so much at the same time. You know, I still can't think about dad without wanting to punch a wall or break someone."

"Both my parents," Troy said. "I just can't believe Vekar and Vrak would stoop so low. My parents had nothing to do with the war. I faked my own death just to keep them safe and that still wasn't enough distance."

"At least you tried to keep them safe," Gia shook her head. "I should have tried better to hide my identity. When I found out they knew, I could have done more to keep them safe. I never should have opened up my home as a second command center."

"It was convenient," Troy said, "having somewhere a little homier without having to worry about someone overhearing us. And your mother was always super prepared with those first-aid kits."

"I'd live in this cave without the beds, the kitchen, and the couches if it means my dad's home safe and sound," Gia shook her head. "Convenience and luxury mean nothing without him anymore."

"I guess you're right," Troy nodded. "What I wouldn't give to have my parents back, even just for Rebecca and Ryan. I'd do anything to bring them back even if it meant I'd never see them again. It's not fair that this war, my war, has to take so much away from them."

"Ryan and Becca may not have parents anymore," Gia said as she looked to Troy with a smile, "But they do have a pretty awesome big brother. You know, I'm pretty cool with this leadership thing. I kind of like the distraction and I'll be honest, it's really cool when Rebecca calls me captain."

"She's taking the pirate thing seriously."

"Good," Gia chuckled. "But you know, if you want to spend more time with Ryan and Rebecca, and more time being an awesome big brother, I'd be more than happy to stay as leader."

"We agreed this was only temporary."

"We're renegotiating," Gia said. She glanced down the hall where she could see Rebecca was playing with the baby, trying to help little Ryan learn to walk more than just the couple of steps she could take before she fell. "Those two deserve what we can't get."

"You still have your mother."

"Until this war's over and she's safe to come home, she might as well be dead," Gia said. "And I'm not going to let Vekar steal anything else from them. I'll take the heat. I'll be the big and mighty red Ranger. I guess I'm used to being the target anyways."

"I get to keep the red suit, though, right?" Troy asked. "I've got nothing against the colour yellow, but after a stint as Samurai yellow I just know it's not me."

"Keep your stinky red suit," Gia chuckled. "You think I'd ever give up yellow?"

"Red's cooler."

"We had a meeting. You're not."

"Who was at the meeting?"

"People."

"Who specifically?"

"People who prefer yellow to red."

"Isn't that biased?"

"That's the point," Gia chuckled and nudged Troy. "Keep the red. I may be captain, but I'll still need a lot of pointers from my first mate."

"I'll be there," Troy promised with a smile and looked down the hall at his two sisters. He felt a weight lift off his chest now that he knew he could focus a lot more of his time on looking out for them. The permanent shift down would guarantee they came out of this war with their best chance possible, he would make sure of it.

Then he looked back at Gia, a smile still on his face.

"Gia? I know it might be a while before we get out of here but... can I ask you something?"

"What?"

"I'll be eighteen by the time I need to worry about who's taking care of Ryan and if this goes on long enough, Rebecca might be eighteen as well. We'll both be able to legally adopt Ryan and look after her."

"What's your question?"

"God forbid anything happens to us, or even just me, can you look after them?"

"Me? You'd trust your precious baby sister and your wacky sister to me? Seriously?"

"Seriously," Troy nodded his head. Gia smiled.

"Happily."

Troy was glad to hear that answer and reached his arm around Gia for a hug. He barely had time to give her a friendly, thankful squeeze before he heard his and Gia's names being called and Rebecca suddenly tumbled into both of them.

"You're not going to believe this!" she called out and grabbed their arms as she tried to lift them both up.


	62. Human Spirit Bond

Troy couldn't believe what he was staring at as Rebecca pulled him by the arm to the main room of the command center. Right there, right next to his console, right before his eyes were his two parents – the parents he had seen were dead with his own two eyes. He shook his head. Rebecca wasn't so easily dissuaded and as soon as she pulled her brother into the room she let him go and jumped into Mr. and Mrs. Burrows arms.

"You have no idea how much I've missed you!" she said as she hugged them both tightly. After a moment, Mr. Burrows pulled away and allowed his wife to continue hugging Rebecca while he looked to Troy.

"Son..."

"Dad... what are you? I mean... how is this possible?"

"I'm not entirely sure," his father shook his head, "But I know I don't have long. Come here."

Troy didn't need to be told twice. He moved into his father's arms and hugged him tightly. As they embraced, Mrs. Burrows moved away from Rebecca and spotted Ryan looking up at her from by the couch. The happy mother rushed over to her young child and scooped her up in her arms.

"Ryan! Sweetheart!"

"She's okay," Rebecca said as she came over and was taken into another hug by Mrs. Burrows, this time with Ryan as part of the group. "Gia found her, with a few cuts and bruises but she was okay. She's been all smiles."

"I know," Mrs. Burrows nodded and kissed both girls on the cheek. "We've been watching."

"Watching?" Troy asked as he moved away from his dad to swap parents with Ryan and Rebecca. "So you mean..."

"You learn a lot after you die," Mr. Burrows said. Mrs. Burrows looked to her son.

"You never told us."

"Gosei swore it was for the best," Troy looked to both his parents apologetically. "I only hid it from you to keep you safe. I didn't mean to..."

"Troy, it's okay," Mr. Burrows smiled. "We get it. It's not a big deal."

"We're just so happy to see how... amazing you are. All of you," Mrs. Burrows said as she looked at the three kids. "A red Ranger, a beautiful young woman, and this little cutie standing on her own two feet!" Mrs. Burrows cooed as she tickled Ryan's stomach. Ryan giggled loudly and then nestled into her mother's chest. She was too young to understand exactly what had happened to her family but she knew her parents had been gone a long time. She was happy to see them again and the smile on her face was the biggest anyone had ever seen it.

And though this was a happy moment, Troy had a bad feeling it wasn't going to last. His parents looked real, and he got to hug and talk to them both like they were real people, but he couldn't ignore the faint glow around them – a glow that didn't come from their happiness. They were dead. This wasn't going to last.

He looked down at his feet. His parents noticed instantly. Mrs. Burrows put Ryan in Rebecca's arms as she and her husband walked up to their son.

"Troy..."

"What happened to you wasn't fair and I'm sorry," Troy said and though he meant it with every fibre of his being even he knew it sounded rehearsed. And it was. From the moment he knew his parents were gone he had been apologizing in his head. He felt – no, knew it was his fault.

Mrs. Burrows, hearing the apology, couldn't stop herself from tearing up as she took her son into her arms. Mr. Burrows hugged both of them.

"Bad things happen," Mrs. Burrows told him. "You can't change that. You just have to move on."

Troy shook his head, "They shouldn't happen. Not like this. You're... you had nothing to do with the war and Vekar..."

"Troy, it's not your fault. Don't get yourself worked up over us."

"We're fine," his father assured him with a loving squeeze of the shoulder. "It took a while to figure out what happened to us and some time to adjust to death but... it's okay. We're okay, and we couldn't be any prouder of you."

"I'd do anything to change what happened," Troy said. "To give you both a second chance. Is... is that what's happening? Is this some sort of test?"

"It's not a test, son. Death can't be undone."

"So then how are you here?" Troy looked up at his father. Mr. Burrows turned to his wife and they both shrugged their shoulder.

"A bird came to us. We were told we would get one chance at a goodbye. When we knew we would see you kids again, we didn't exactly question it."

"We came here to tell you how proud we are," Mrs. Burrows wrapped her arms around all three of her children. "We want you to know, no matter what world we live in, no matter how far apart we may seem, we'll always be there for you, and we're always going to love you."

"And we'll always be looking out for you," Mr. Burrows promised as he joined the group hug. The whole family embraced for as long as they could before the parents felt their energy fading. They looked to each other and then each took the kids one last time in their arms for a final hug and kiss goodbye.

Then, just as quickly as they had appeared, they were gone. Ryan, seeing her parents leave, started to cry almost immediately. Rebecca had some tears in her eyes but when she saw Troy she knew not to ask for his help. She whispered to him that she could handle Ryan and walked off to their bedroom.

Troy stared at the space where his parents stood. Saying a proper goodbye felt good, and it did give him the closure he needed, but it was hard. Though he was happy he got this chance, a chance no one else got to have, a part of him wished it had never happened.

But then hearing Rebecca leave, hearing the pain in her voice and the cries of baby Ryan, he knew he still had family left. He knew all was not lost. He had said goodbye to his parents, now he had to take care of the ones they left behind. He turned and followed Rebecca and Ryan into the bedroom with renewed strength to look after them.

Gia had watched the whole thing and though she was happy for the three, a huge part of her was jealous. She couldn't understand what had happened and why they got to see their parents and she was left with nothing. She knew it wasn't about being fair, but her father had been dead for much longer. She had been living with the pain, the guilt, the regret, and the anger for a lot longer than the three Burrows combined. And, for a split moment, she hated all of them.

But that anger washed away quickly when suddenly, just in front of her, her father appeared. Gia didn't ask questions. She didn't bother to check if he was real. She leapt into his arms and grabbed him tightly. She never wanted to let go.

"Daddy!"

"It... it worked," Joe said as he hugged his daughter tight. "I... she... she did it!"

Gia didn't ask. She didn't care what had brought him back. She just knew that his time would likely be short and she wanted every moment with him possible. She moved away just enough to look up at him and just like with Troy the apologies came flooding out of her mouth.

"I'm so sorry! I... I, you never should have been involved. I should have kept you out of danger and... and... dad, the clone! It was the clone, I swear, I would never hurt you. I'm so sorry, dad. I'm so..."

"Shh, shh," Joe whispered as he took her back in his arms. "Gia, it's okay. I knew. I didn't think for a second it was you."

"I'm so sorry," Gia whispered again in his ear and her knees buckled. Joe felt her weight shifted and lowered her to the ground without letting her go. She was hurting. He knew it. He had seen everything from the Spirit World.

"Don't apologize, sweetheart," Joe told her as he stroked her hair. "I could not be prouder of anyone. Look at you, Tigger. Look how far you've come."

"I tried to kill him," Gia looked up at her father. "I tried to make him pay for what he did to you but I couldn't. He's too good, dad. He's..."

"I don't need you to avenge me," Joe shook his head and wiped away the tears on her cheek with his thumb. "As long as you're safe, he can't hurt me. I promise, I'm okay."

"I did everything..."

"I saw. You put your heart into it. Into everything you do. I've always believed in you, sweetheart, but you've even surpassed my expectations. That play, the one you intended people to see, I loved it."

"My... my play?"

"The version in the script. The one you approved," Joe nodded his head. "The way you opened up. How you were brave enough to face your toughest pains to help others. I was cheering you on the whole way."

"You saw it?"

"Front and center," Joe smiled. "I was there, booing when those drama students ruined it."

"You really were there," Gia looked up. Joe kissed her forehead.

"That fundraiser, I know it wasn't your idea but it was you who got the ball rolling with your campaign. Gia, you were only seventeen. Do you have any idea how many lives you changed for the better with that one event? I do. In your school alone, you helped ten students break the cycle."

"I... I did?"

"And I'm not even counting the number of people you reached in all of Harwood County," Joe nodded. "But I was there. I was so proud of you."

Gia smiled, "You have no idea how much that means to me."

Joe chuckled, "You have no idea how proud I am of you. I've always been there for you, Gia. I'll always be there for you, to give you the very best. When your mother was in that train accident, I led her to that exact spot on the train. I knew it was her best chance. When you got to the scene, I led you there."

"I... You really... you could do that?"

"I can't manipulate what happens here," Joe said. "It was you who listened to your gut and found her, but I was there, doing all I could. I just wouldn't let Vrak take your mother away from you."

"Really?"

"When you went for your, well, final battle," Joe said with a little chuckle, "Your mother prayed to me. She wasn't ready to give you up and I knew you weren't done on Earth. I was there."

"Dad..."

"Don't let the bad guys win," Joe looked Gia right in the eyes as he said it. "Don't let them get what they want. Do _not_ make this fight easy for them. And, for goodness sake, Gia, don't let them get to you. Stay strong. I know you're going places if you just keep your head in the game."

"I promise."

"No more cliff diving. I'll tell you right now, you won't stick the landing."

"I promise," Gia nodded. Joe smiled down on her and then pulled her in for another tight hug.

"Tell your mother when you see her that I love her. Tell her I wish her all the joys in the world. Tell her... Gia, tell her I want her to do whatever makes her happy."

"I will."

"Tell Emma I love her too."

"I will... wait... Emma! Dad, Emma's..."

"She's okay. She'll be okay," Joe assured her and then kissed her forehead. "I love you, Gia. With all my heart, I love you."

"I love you too, daddy."

A gentle, loving squeeze and then he was gone. Gia felt his warm embrace disappear and wanted to collapse on the ground and cry both tears of joy and pain, but she couldn't. Almost as soon as her father vanished, Emma appeared. It was like she dropped from the sky. Gia rushed to catch her and lowered her to the ground.

"Em? Emma, what happened?"

"I made a deal with the Huang," Emma answered sleepily. Gia gently shook her to keep her awake.

"That... that was a deal? Why... why would you do that?"

"Did you see him?"

"Dad? Yeah. He was just here."

"That's why," Emma smiled. She tried to sit up, but Gia had to hold her close. "The Huang doesn't like to be trapped inside me. She needs to be free. I can't hold her back."

"We figured that out. Emma..."

"The Spirit World was the only place we could live independently without consequences. I told her I'd give up my powers so she could be at full strength here on Earth in exchange for you, Troy, and Rebecca to see your parents. I promise, I'll train really hard to make up what I've lost. I... I won't let you down."

"You didn't," Gia shook her head and hugged her best friend a little closer. "Emma..."

Gia wanted to tell her the sacrifice was hugely appreciated, but also unnecessary when a colourful bird landed in front of her and Emma. Gia stared at it curiously while Emma greeted it with a smile.

"Thanks, Huang. You can be free, now."

The Huang chirped and moved closer to Emma. The pink Ranger looked to her spirit animal with a frown.

"We had a deal. It's okay. I'll live up to my... Huang... don't..."

The bird didn't listen. Instead it hopped straight into Emma's chest. Almost instantly, Emma felt more awake and more alive. She sat up straight, without Gia's support and looked down at her chest.

"I don't get it."

"Don't look at me," Gia shrugged her shoulders. "I speak tiger, not bird."

"The Huang's saying... she's happy to stay with me," Emma said. "But she's a free spirit. She doesn't want to be... she's..."

"Lucky," Gia smiled. "Lucky to be a part of someone so perfectly selfless and pure and kind."

"No," Emma shook her head and then shut her eyes. She summoned the Huang and looked at the bird, "You don't have to be trapped. You can go where you want. We had a deal and I'll..."

The Huang shook her head, spread her wings, and soared through the air in the command center. She let out a cry, which brought the others out of their room to see what was going on.

"You want to stay here?" Emma asked. "You're sure?"

The Huang nodded and landed on Emma's shoulder. She rubbed her faced against Emma's cheek. The pink Ranger smiled and gently stroked the bird.

"If you're happy, I'm happy."


	63. Turtle Spirit

Casey had missed the excitement of the Ranger life now that he was retired from it, but he did like that this had just been a temporary stay.

After the panic caused by Emma tapping into her extremely rare Huang spirit, or as it was better known on this side of the planet, a phoenix, Casey took the Rangers to the training field for one last session. They had done well on the battle field with their animal spirits had had beaten the alien with relatively little difficulty, but he wanted to leave them all with a sure bond to their animals. The better the relationship they had, the better help they would get from their animals.

"Good. You're all doing great," Casey said as he walked around them, glancing at their different styles and skill levels. Though they were all beginners, some of the Rangers were progressing faster than others. Gia was already capable of unleashing her Tiger spirit in its full form due to her having unknowingly bonded with it before his arrival. Emma and the phoenix were doing fairly well, but the arrangement they had agreed upon took a little getting used to for both of them. The Huang was a powerful bird and loved her freedom. She had never settled for being controlled by a human before. She would have to learn to take her orders from Emma and trust the pink Ranger's calls, and Emma would have to learn to care for the majestic bird. It was a draining task, but Emma was up to the challenge.

The boys and Rebecca were all progressing as well. Noah had tapped deeper into his shark spirit and a couple of times managed to summon out the animal, not just the energy. Rebecca was very enthusiastic about her dolphin spirit, but was having a hard time calling her out. Still, it didn't stop her from trying her hardest, and when Noah came at her with his shark in their final exercise, she managed to call her dolphin just in time to defend herself.

Troy and Jake were still learning to harness the energy of their animal spirits, but they were tapping into a lot of power. Casey could already tell that once they reached the stage where they could unleash their dragon and snake, they would be fierce opponents to the Armada. The aliens, whom Casey could tell had no spirits, were in for a big surprise now that each Ranger had their own ally.

Casey walked around to Jordan, checking up on his last. Jordan had been very disappointed when he heard all the other Rangers had fierce, strong, and intimidating spirits and he had been stuck with the turtle. If he couldn't get over his disappointment he was never going to improve.

"Come on, you stupid turtle," Jordan muttered as he tried to unleash his animal spirit. "You're really not doing yourself any favours, you lazy ass."

"No animal is better than another," Casey said as he put his hand on Jordan's shoulder. "Emma may have the mighty Huang spirit, but with practice, patience, and a close bond, you and your turtle can be just as powerful as her and any of these Rangers."

"I always imagined something cooler," Jordan said. "I thought it'd be a lion or a rhino or something big and powerful."

"And the turtle doesn't meet your expectations."

"He's slow."

"He's in no rush," Casey shook his head. "The turtle analyzes his environment. He takes his time, studies his opponents and finds the best way out of a fight. He holds a strong connection to the Earth. He's practical; he's calm under pressure, and reliable."

"Those are all good qualities, but can't I have that and be like... a gorilla or something?"

"The gorilla can sometimes be too powerful for his own good," Casey said. "He tends to rely on his strength to get him out of trouble, and while that might work sometimes, it can't be relied on."

Casey looked over to Emma, who had unleashed the Huang, or Phoenix as she had named it, and was watching the bird flying happily through the sky. The former red Ranger chuckled and nudged Jordan.

"If the Huang can trust her, your fiancée must be a pretty amazing person."

"Yeah," Jordan nodded. "She's the best."

"I've had my nose in a book these last few days," Casey said, "But I heard the way the others were talking about her. I got to get to know her a little better. She's a dreamer, isn't she?"

"A big dreamer," Jordan said. "It's one of the things I love about her. She has all these ideas, these goals, these dreams. Actually, she doesn't just have them, she goes for them. She's always reaching for the stars and..."

"She's lucky to have someone like you," Casey smiled. "You, the turtle, are going to keep her grounded. Dreams are great, but sometimes they can lift you too high. You balance each other out."

"We do?"

"A gorilla would tear down her dreams," Casey nodded his head. "He'd tell her she's dreaming too much and end it at that. The great thing about the turtle is that you are practical but you can see the power of dreams, and you can and will help her achieve them. Does that help?"

"When you put it that way," Jordan answered Casey, "Yeah, it kind of does."

"The turtle works that way in your life too," the red Ranger continued. "You look ahead, you study the paths before you and you choose the best one. Sometimes it takes you a little longer to figure out what you want, but if you listen to your turtle, he'll never steer you wrong."

"I probably shouldn't be too hard on the little guy, then," Jordan said and looked down at his hands. "I guess the turtle spirit is pretty cool in its own right."

"Learn to believe in the turtle, and you'll see he's the best friend you could ever ask for," Casey promised and then got back to his feet. He looked around to the Rangers and then announced it was time for him to leave. The Rangers all stopped what they were doing to say their goodbyes.

"Thanks for all your help," Troy said as he shook hands with the former red Ranger. "You taught us more about ourselves than we ever imagined possible."

"Even if it almost killed some of us," Jake muttered and looked to Emma. The pink Ranger stuck out her tongue at the same time Phoenix landed on her shoulder. The bird cawed loudly, startling Jake. Emma chuckled.

"This will be fun."

"It was the least I could do," Casey answered Troy. "There's still no way I can ever repay you for your help getting Ava home. If anything had happened to her, I don't know what I'd do with myself."

"Just take care of her," Gia said. "Maybe try a little harder to show up for pick-ups on time."

"Yeah, absolutely," Casey nodded his head and then grabbed his bag. He put it over his shoulder, "Hey, good luck with the Armada, guys. And if you ever need a hand, or another Pai Zhuq style lesson, I'll be in the tiger's cage. Come find me any time."


	64. Hypothetical Lives

After Casey left the command center, the Rangers were back to their usual routine, which they had to admit was a bit dull. Though there were a lot of them living together at the command center, and there was rarely a moment where there wasn't some type of conflict or action happening between two of them, seeing the same faces and having the same conversations every day were getting to be quite boring. Without a new face, the Rangers were left with very little to talk about. Anything that hadn't already been said was likely a secret that would be taken to the grave.

But Rebecca didn't mind how the command center had brought them to that rut. She had learned so much about her friends in these few months than she was sure she would have learned in several years in the real world. It had brought her closer to everyone, and though she was excited for someone else to walk in to give her and her friends something new to talk about, she loved how close they had all become.

Which was how the topic of alternate lives came up as they all sat together for breakfast at the table.

"What would your life be like if we weren't all friends?" she asked and saw the Rangers all seemed interested. It was a different conversation from what they usually had, and for the most part it seemed very welcomed. When she saw her friends were on board she decided to go first. "I guess mine's pretty easy. My life changed completely after I met you guys so if that never happened, I'd be a teenage mother using money from my friends drug-deals to support my kid. I'd probably be failing high school, if I'd even still be going, and I'd probably be living with dad and dragon step-mom... uh, no offense, Jake."

"None taken," Jake answered. "I know what she's like."

"You really think all that changed because you met us?" Troy asked his sister and Rebecca nodded her head.

"I'm positive. I was on a dead end to nowhere until you decided to butt your stubborn head in my life and screwed that plan up," Rebecca chuckled. "Thanks for meddling, by the way."

"You're my sister. I wouldn't think twice about helping you out," Troy assured her. "But I guess the apology really goes to these guys. If they weren't my friends, I'd never have run into you at the Brainfreeze."

"You'd be a total loner," Jake pointed out and then turned to Noah, "You remember how awkward it was hanging out with him when we all first became Rangers."

"I'm the team nerd, and even I think you were socially awkward," Noah nodded his head in agreement with Jake as he looked to Troy, "That's got to mean something."

"I was bullied pretty badly as a kid, and my parents moved around a lot because of that and work," Troy said. "I never really got to stay in a school long enough to make friends, and if I did stay for a full school year, I was usually picked on. I guess I never really felt I needed friends until I had them."

"So you'd be a total creepy loner without the others?" Rebecca asked her brother curiously. "Like... how bad would you be?"

"Bad like... keeping to myself all the time, never speaking unless spoken to, and spending all my spare time either jogging through the woods or training."

Rebecca gulped down her mouthful of cereal and then leaned into Noah, "Thanks."

"For what?" he whispered back.

"Saving my brother from being a totally creepy serial killer."

"You know I hear you, right?" Troy smirked as he glanced across the table. "I wasn't headed on the track to serial killer. I was just... reserved."

"We Daniels are crazy people," Rebecca whispered again to Noah, though it was obvious her brother could hear her. "Apparently, we need friendships or we lose it. Thank you."

"You're welcome," Noah whispered back.

"Well, my life wouldn't be as sad or weird without you guys," Jordan commented and then noticed the cocked eyebrow from Gia across the table. He looked to her with a curious shrug and then realized what he had said. He turned to Emma and saw her glare. "Uh, I mean, I'd be sad and lonely for sure but I wouldn't be a druggy teen mom or serial killer."

"I wasn't going to be a serial killer."

"I'd just have a different set of friends," Jordan said but he saw the look on Emma's face didn't soften. "They wouldn't be as awesome as you guys, and no girlfriend could ever live up to what I have with you but... I mean, I wouldn't start killing people because of it."

"I'm not a serial killer!"

Gia leaned across the table and decided just this once to help him out, "Tell her you love her and wouldn't even want to live in a world without her."

"I love you," Jordan said with a hopeful smile and leaned in to kiss her. "And I couldn't imagine ever being happy without seeing your beautiful face every day."

"Fine, I'll keep you," Emma rolled her eyes and leaned in for the kiss. Jordan breathed a sigh of relief when he heard he had gotten himself out of that one.

"Noah, what would you be like without the guys?" Rebecca prodded her boyfriend in the chest, "Like, say you never met Jake?"

"If I never met Jake?" Noah thought about it for a bit, "You know what, as much as I hate when people call me this, I'd have to say I'd be a mad scientist."

"Aw, dude, that's flattering," Jake smirked as he put his arm around his best friend. Then he frowned, "Wait... is it?"

"It is," Noah nodded. "You kind of kept me balanced between work and play, though I'm not exactly fond of playing soccer. I guess you could say I'm not cooped up in my parent's garage because you give me other stuff to do... like actually go outside and get some fresh air."

"I'm taking that as a compliment," Jake said and sat up proudly.

"I'd be screwed without you guys," Emma answered and then looked across the table at her best friend with a smile. "If I think about it, I might have led a life similar to Rebecca's. The Morans really introduced me to everything I love and without them I'd just be the kid whose parents are never home."

"Messed up kids!" Rebecca smiled and reached across the table to give the pink Ranger a high-five.

"That's something you're proud of?" Troy frowned to his sister.

"Hey, at least we're not looking for places to bury the bodies."

"I wouldn't have been a serial killer!"

"You so would," Jake chuckled. "You've got that face..."

"It's his angry face," Rebecca nodded and then started to bounce in her seat excitedly when Troy glared at her, "See! It's that one! You've totally got the _I'm going to kill you _face mastered!"

"I'm not a killer!"

"Because you have friends," Rebecca gestured around the table, "But without us..."

"Not a killer."

"Your word against ours," Rebecca said and then turned to Gia, "You?"

"What do you think?" Gia answered. "I'd probably still be with Cliff, or some other guy just like him, if not already dead."

"Maybe Troy killed you," Jordan said jokingly. Gia just rolled her eyes. Troy grumbled loudly.

"I wouldn't be killing anyone."

"I guess that leaves me," Jake ignored Troy and tapped his chin as he tried to think. "Well... I guess if I didn't have you guys or Noah... I'd still be into soccer. I'd probably be a lot closer to the school soccer team than I am now. Actually, without Noah around, they would have had a much stronger influence on me. I guess I'd be just like them."

Hearing this, Gia looked down at her bowl of cereal and suddenly felt a wave of nausea overcome her. She knew this was just a hypothetical situation of something that would never come true but she still couldn't stomach what Jake had said and how true his words were. Jake had a good heart, but a lot of that she had seen was from having Noah as a best friend. Noah had kept Jake from turning into one of the macho, chauvinistic jocks the rest of the soccer team had proven to be.

"I'm full," she pushed her bowl away and walked away from the table suddenly. The others glanced to each other silently for a moment before Jake spoke up. He looked at Emma.

"It was something I said, wasn't it?"

"My best guess is you aligned yourself with them."

"And by them you mean...?"

"Yep. I'll go talk to her," Emma was about to get up but Jake shook his head and held out his hand.

"No, I'll make sure she's okay," he said and then followed his girlfriend away from the table.

"I don't get it," Rebecca looked around the table, "What happened?"

"The soccer team," Noah told her. "Didn't Gia tell you when you were doing that play?"

"She said they were jerks, but a lot of people are. Troy's a serial killer."

"Did she mention Mick and Alex?" Emma asked. Rebecca nodded her head.

"They took advantage of her at a... oh... now I get it. She knows this isn't real, right? It's not like Jake would really ever let himself do that to anyone."

Emma nodded her head, "Gia's smart. I'm sure she's figured that out. It's just... hard to swallow."


	65. The Moment

Jake knocked on the bedroom door before he walked in. Gia sat on the bed, her knees tucked up to her chest and her new tiger in her arms. She seemed to just be in thought, which gave Jake hope that he hadn't completely hurt her with his comment. He sat down next to her on the bed and nudged her gently.

"You know that's not who I am, right?"

"I know," Gia nodded. "It's just... crazy. One little thing like you and Noah never being friends could have changed everything. Instead of being the guy who scored against his own team to protect me, you'd probably have been the guy to..."

"I'd never do that," Jake shook his head. "Whether Mick and Alex are my friends or you guys. I'm not that person."

"I know you're not," Gia turned to him with a smile. "It's just... not a possibility I wanted to consider. I guess none of it is. Without you guys, I'd still be with Cliff or someone like him, or dead. I'd still be thinking of myself as just a body to be claimed. Not even good enough for the guys who mistreat me."

"You don't have to look at it that way," Jake told her. "You can think about how lucky you are that things worked out for the best and how far you've come."

"Things could have been very different," Gia said and then leaned into Jake and let him put his arms around her. "But I'm really glad they worked out like they did. I'm happy to be with you. I'm happy I have friends and a boyfriend who made me realize that's not the road I want to be on."

Gia looked up at her boyfriend lovingly and pulled him in, "Thank you."

-Megaforce-

Sometime after breakfast, while Troy and Noah were on lunch duty, Rebecca crept over to the bedrooms and put her ear up against Gia's bedroom door. Jake and Gia had been inside for a long time, and Rebecca was beginning to worry that her conversation had somehow hurt the yellow Ranger. She was listening for crying or yelling but couldn't hear anything of the sort.

"What are you doing?" Emma asked which startled her. Rebecca jumped and spun around to see the pink Ranger and Ryan staring at her.

"Just checking up," she said. "Uh... how was Ryan on the walk?"

"She was good. I can't really say the same for her sister," Emma said and pulled Rebecca away from the door, "Give them a little privacy, won't you?"

"It's been hours," Rebecca said. "Aren't you worried? Or curious?"

"I trust Jake," Emma shook her head. "If there's something wrong, he'll know how to take care of her and if he can't, he'd come find me."

"Come on, you're not a little worried of what realizing her boyfriend could have taken advantage of her if things were just a tad bit different could do?"

"I'm always worried she's going to go backwards," Emma said. "But I've finally got my best friend back. I'm not going to belittle her strength by jumping in every time there's a problem. If she needs me, she knows where to find me. Now come..."

Emma trailed off when the bedroom door opened and Jake stepped out. He seemed surprised to see both girls standing right outside his door and whispering. He started to blush.

"Uh... what were you doing?"

"Nothing," Rebecca answered. Emma shook her head.

"We were just leaving."

"You've been out here a while?" Jake asked.

"No," Rebecca answered while Emma continued to tug on her arm.

"Okay... um, I'm just going to... shower," Jake pointed to the bathroom. "Don't wait for me for lunch."

"We won't," Rebecca said and then watched him go down the hall before she tried to peek into the bedroom. Emma yanked her back and then put Ryan in her arms.

"Will you stop it?"

"When is it a crime to make sure someone's okay?" Rebecca pouted. She turned to Ryan, "Auntie Emma's not being very caring right now, is she?"

Ryan just continued to suck on her fingers as she listened to the exchange between the two girls.

"I'm being caring. I just don't have to eavesdrop to do it," Emma crossed her arms over her chest. "Now go do something productive or..."

"Emma?" the pink Ranger heard her name from inside the room just before Gia stepped out, "Can I talk to you?"

"Is everything okay?" Emma asked and ignored the knowing look she was getting from Rebecca. Gia nodded her head and looked nervously at the two girls in the hallway.

"Yeah... everything's fine I just... wanted to talk about something."

"I know he's my step-brother," Rebecca said, "But if he did something I'll cut him."

"He didn't..." Gia shook her head and sighed, "Can I please just talk to Emma about it?"

"Just let me know if you need any cutting," Rebecca nodded as she walked backwards down the hall with Ryan. "I'm team Gia. We girls have to stick together."

Gia ignored her and pulled Emma in the bedroom. She shut the door and then locked it and turned to her best friend.

"You remember that dinner for Jake? When you told me... when it feels right to just go for it?"

"Yeah... is... are you saying...?"

"We... we went there," Gia whispered and hugged herself as she looked down at the floor. "Jake's... he's not a bad guy. He's... I really love him, Emma. I love the way he makes me feel, I love who I am when I'm with him, and I love how strong he's help me become."

"He's a really good guy," Emma nodded her head. "Are you okay?"

"I'm... happy," Gia answered. "I'm really happy it happened and I... it's just not how I'm used to feeling and it scares me."

"Like you regret it? Or you're just not used to how happy being in love can make you."

"The... the second one," Gia answered. "For sure the second one. Cliff, Mick, Alex, all those guys... they made me feel dirty and... I don't feel that way and it's freaking me out and..."

Emma hugged the yellow Ranger, "Everything's okay. It's... it's a big moment. A turning point. A new chapter. It just needs some time to sink in."

She gently squeezed her best friend and then looked her in the eyes, "But you're okay? You're happy? He didn't pressure you? You don't regret it? You don't wish you'd waited a little longer."

"I'm so happy I don't know what to do with myself and it's freaking me out," Gia answered. I've never felt like this before. I've never let someone so close without getting hurt."

"We'll just give it time to sink in, then," Emma smiled. "But Jake was..."

"Perfect," Gia answered. "He did everything right."

"Really, everything?" Emma raised an eyebrow.

"He loved me," Gia nodded. Emma smiled and hugged her best friend again.

"You have no idea how happy I am for you!"

"So happy it's freaking you out? Cause that's what's happening here."

Emma chuckled, "So happy... I think I might need a moment."

"Can your moment come after mine?"

Emma nodded and comfortingly squeezed the yellow Ranger, "Yeah."


	66. A Runner

To say her life had been turbulent would be an understatement. Rebecca had been through and seen a lot happen in only just the last few years. She never imagined that when she finally felt settled and content she would be living in a cave with her brother and sister, her friends the Power Rangers, their robot assistant, and their giant wall-art mentor. And, after giving up her son for adoption, she never thought she would be a teen mother again. But as she played on the carpet with Ryan, helping the little girl fit the shaped blocks through their respective holes (a game Ryan was fascinated by at this time), Rebecca couldn't help but think about how happy she was. She had a strange life, one full of heartbreak, but she finally felt like she had a purpose, like she could do something, and like she was making an important difference in the lives of people she cared about. As Ryan fit the square block through the correct hole she threw up her hands in cheer. Rebecca hugged the little girl to encourage her.

"Yay! Ryan! You did it! That is a square you smart little genius, you," she kissed the little girl on the top of the head before letting her resume her game. "I'm going to have to find some genius kindergarten to place you in, aren't I?"

"She spent three minutes trying to shove the square through the circle," Noah looked up from his laptop with a shake of his head. "I wouldn't exactly call her a genius for trying another hole."

"Hey, don't diss my baby," Rebecca pouted. "She's going to be smarter than you and you're just jealous."

"Hardly," Noah said before he went back to his homework. Rebecca just rolled her eyes and then started to help Ryan. As she insisted to the baby the circle wasn't going to fit in the triangle she couldn't help but think about kindergarten. She was hoping that by the time Ryan was old enough to start school that the Rangers would have defeated the Armada. She didn't want her little sister to have to be cave-schooled like herself and the Rangers. Thanks to Dr. Oliver, they were going to be able to graduate high school on time, just as if they had stayed in regular schooling, but there were times when Rebecca missed being in a classroom and listening to teachers drone on about subjects she didn't really care for. She missed working with Ms. Chesterfield and Gia on new ideas for the school. She even missed the strange cafeteria lunches that the school insisted was food. She didn't want Ryan to miss out on those experiences.

And those thought led her to the big one. Since Mr. and Mrs. Burrows had passed, Rebecca and Troy had taken on the responsibility of looking after and raising Ryan. Troy had refused to put her up for adoption or to place her in an orphanage in the hopes that some better parents would find her. He had wanted to keep what was left of his family close. Rebecca didn't mind. She had already given up a son and her heart was still broken from saying goodbye. She couldn't put herself through that again, especially after bonding to Ryan as a sister.

What that meant, though, was that Rebecca was in this for life. Though Ryan wouldn't call her mommy, that was her role. She was going to be the mother figure to the little girl sitting next to her. She was going to look after her, kiss her booboos, read her stories, give her bathes, help her with her homework, talk to her about boys, tell her the facts of life, meet the boyfriend, watch her get married...

Rebecca gasped suddenly, which caused both Ryan and Noah to look to her curiously. She waved them both off.

"Sorry, I scared myself."

"Did you go to that dark place in your head again?" Noah asked her.

Rebecca shook her head. She looked down at Ryan, who was still staring up at her, and then over to Noah. She knew she had signed up to be Ryan's caretaker for at least the next eighteen years. She wasn't sure Noah knew what he was getting into by dating her.

"Do you want kids?" she asked her boyfriend suddenly, which caused him to look up startled.

"Uh... Becca, we've only been dating a few weeks. I... I mean... well, our dates have been fun and I really like you but..."

"Not now," Rebecca rolled her eyes and then frowned and shook her head. "Well, actually, yeah... now. Ryan."

Ryan heard her name and clapped. Noah didn't feel as cheerful.

"What about her?"

"I'm mommy," Rebecca said and then turned to the little girl, "Though you are not calling me that. I'll always be Becca to you. Being mommy and daddy with Troy is just weird."

"Rebecca," Noah chuckled. He knew where his girlfriend was going now. "I'm not stupid, you know. Ryan's in the picture. I get that."

"But she's not just... she's not going away after the war. Troy and I are keeping her. We're going to raise her. She's basically going to be my sister-daughter... in a not creepy way."

"I know."

"So... not that we're going to... not that I don't want to but... hypothetically, if things were to get really serious and you and I wanted to spend the rest of our lives together... I kind of have a baby and you're going to be..."

"I want to be a father one day," Noah nodded his head. "Ryan's a cute kid. I don't mind her being in the picture."

"You don't mind being step-daddy?"

"No," Noah smiled. "She's your sister, Becca. I'm not going to make you choose between us. You don't even have to choose. If, hypothetically, we do get married, I'd be more than happy to be Ryan's step-father."

Rebecca smiled and cuddled her sister close as she looked up at Noah, "Aw! Ryan, look, now you have two daddies!"

"Uh... wait, I'm not on daddy duty now, am I?" Noah asked. "Can't I just be at uncle level until we know this is going to work out."

"Do uncles babysit?"

"Sometimes."

"Feed?"

"Yeah."

"Read bedtime stories?"

"You know, Ryan loved it when I read out my science textbook."

"That's because she's smart, Noah," Rebecca rolled her eyes. "Do uncles change diapers."

"Uh..."

"Yes? Great! You can stay at uncle status until we maybe one day get married. By the way, Ryan made a stinky and it's your turn."

"I'm doing homework."

"I'm getting a snack," Rebecca said as she stood up. Noah grumbled. He knew he wasn't going to win this one. Noah set his laptop aside and reached out to Ryan. The little girl, seeing him coming towards her started to laugh.

"Come on," Noah said just as he was about to pick her up, "Time to get that stinky diaper off you."

Noah put his hands under her arms and was just about to lift her when Ryan decided to play. She stood up on her own and then ran off. Rebecca watched with wide eyes as her little sister, who so far had only taken wobbly steps, took off at full speed across the room.

"Troy!" she called and her brother stepped out of their bedroom just in time to see Ryan racing by.

"She's... she's walking!"

"That's a full on run!" Rebecca corrected him. "Celebrate the moment later; help Noah and me catch her!"

Ryan giggled as her siblings and Noah chased her around the command center. She was sneaky than they imagined she could be, and just when they thought they had her cornered she would find a way to get past them. It seemed she loved to run and she loved being chased by the Rangers.

Jordan and Emma could hear all the giggling, smashing, and crashing from inside Jordan's bedroom and stepped out to see what was going on. They saw their three friends running around the room trying to catch up to little Ryan, who seemed to be having the time of her life.

"Uh, guys..."

"Grab her!" Troy shouted as Ryan ran to them. Unfortunately he was a little late, and Ryan snuck past her aunt and uncle and darted right into their room. The five thought they had the little girl cornered in the room but when they looked around they saw she had hurried off into the connecting bathroom, which also had a door to the girls' room. By the time they were all inside Jordan's room, Ryan had already made her way back out to the main room.

"She gets this from your side of the family!" Troy grumbled as he stepped back out to the main room and tried to look for the little girl who had disappeared.

"Um, technically she and I aren't blood relatives," Rebecca pointed out. "I love her out of the kindness of my heart."

"Since when could she walk?" Jordan asked. "Never mind run?"

"She's a sneaky little poop-head," Rebecca answered and started to open cupboards in the kitchen.

"I thought you said you loved her out of the kindness of your heart," Troy said to his sister. Rebecca shook her head.

"I meant poop lovingly."

"Where could she have gone?" Noah asked. He checked behind the couch. "Ryan? Come on out! We'll give you candy."

"Noah, that's creepy," Emma frowned.

"What's creepy?" Gia asked as she and Jake walked in. While the others had completed their training in the morning, the two of them had opted for another lesson. Jake wanted to practice harnessing the power of his animal spirit. He was fascinated by the snake and wanted to be able to unless the snake in its proper form, like Emma and Gia could do with their animals.

"Noah's trying to give candy to my baby," Rebecca pouted.

"Better than trying to take it away," Jake shrugged and then looked around the room. "Uh, where is Ryan?"

"That's what we're looking for," Troy said. He had already emptied the laundry basket and sighed to see his sister wasn't there. "I'm starting to worry."

"Well, let me know if you need help," Gia said. "I've got that report to write for Dr. Oliver tomorrow. I'll be in my room."

"Keep the door shut," Emma said. "We don't want to give her more hiding spots."

Gia nodded and as she dumped her training gear in the hall she reached for her school bag. To everyone it seemed full. They didn't think much of it, though. Gia's bag was usually always filled with books.

They did find it odd, though, when her bag started giggling after Gia touched it. Gia sighed, pulled open her bag and then lifted Ryan out of it.

"I found your baby."


End file.
